It Starts
by Padfoot In Chains
Summary: Under pressure, Harry goes missing for six months, he comes back a different person. He's is in control. Hermione does not like being second best, Ginny is depressed, Daphne is totaly loving it all. Independant/Powerful Harry! Post OotP! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Ok people, first fic, quite nervous.

This is a Post OotP fic, the usual Harry gets proactive thing, hopfully its original, not my fault if it isn't, i've not read all of them people, tis quite impossible i think. Anyway, this is the traditional Harry coming out of depresion chapter. Enjoy!!! oh and i own nothing except the plot, if any of you say i did i will hunt you down with a herring(A fish)

**

* * *

It Starts: Chapter One – The Wall & Breaking Out**

The wall never changed. He liked it like that, unchanging, unmovable, the same always the same, unlike other things.

Harry Potter was a mess; he hadn't moved an inch since he came home from Hogwarts and his worst year yet. Not only did he lead his friends into a blatant trap and nearly got them killed, but he lost his Godfather, Sirius Black, and it hurt like the Cruciatus but worse, that pain didn't come close to what he was feeling now, anger, loss, fear, hopelessness, guilt and most of all pure self-loathing. _Yeah, I'm a mess alright, but I deserve much worse._ He'd been staring at the wall for almost thirty six hours. The pitiful voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Hermione was telling him it was not his fault, he snorted. _Of course it's my fault, I led them there because of my 'Saving people thing'._

The Dursleys would not dare disturb him; they saw the haunted soul begging for a chance to be let loose shining through his eyes. _Never tickle a sleeping dragon they say._ He didn't know what he would do if they came looking for him, maybe a similar reaction to Death Eaters he would suppose. It wouldn't be pretty.

He went over the events of the last few weeks in his mind. First, the History of Magic exam where he had the vision of Sirius being tortured by Voldemort in the Hall of Prophecy, then Umbrigde's office and speaking to Kreacher, he felt like tearing that elf to pieces, the forest and the Centaurs carrying the old toad off,_ the bright spot of the day if any._ He skipped over the flight and trip down to Hall of Prophecy straight to the battle in the Death Chamber, the rest was a blur up until Sirius fell, so slowly towards the afterlife with his laugh dying on his face. He chased her; he wanted revenge for the only father he had known.

But he couldn't do it; he could not willingly take a life, even one as sadistic and psychotic as her. He was weak, couldn't even avenge on person, never mind his parents and Cedric, Harry Potter was nothing but a pathetic boy. Voldemort had him pegged even as a child, weak, pathetic and worthless. Not worth the air he was breathing. That was until he tried to get inside his head, here Harry had the advantage. While he could not perform that spell that would end it all, Harry could make him feel what it's like to love and then to lose. A grim sense of satisfaction set on him, Love, the all important weapon actually does work it seems. That led him to the prophecy, how he hated Dumbledore now, how dare he keep this from him all his life, letting him think that Voldemort was just a little pissed off that he ejected him from his body and wanted to return the favour. Well he wanted to do that, but for a different reason, though not much different._ Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives._ He knew it would end like this really, because he wouldn't let another wand get the last shot at that evil bastard even if he had not heard the prophecy. Some would call it his right, but he was not that arrogant, he simply wanted a chance and if it presented itself he would take it. Others would think its vengeance, but no not anymore it was something else now, something he wasn't sure of.

After the 'meeting' with the Headmaster he was confused beyond all belief, he didn't know what to think. His world had not changed drastically from what it used to be, there was a black dog shaped hole and then another Sirius shaped one that was making itself obvious, but other than that he was still on the bottom of Voldemort's house party list, but now it was 'destined'. Vague images of his friends trying to comfort him pushed themselves forward in his mind, none more than Luna's, Harry knew he would see Sirius one day, but it doesn't mean he can miss him now. He managed to put up a mask Severus Snape would have been proud of; it fooled his friends into thinking he was healing. Once they were out of sight he was he was back to the haunted boy who had seen so much that it had nearly broken him.

Now he sat here sitting on his bead in Number Four Privet Drive Little Whinging staring at a wall. He wanted to move, to be alive again, but he didn't think he could take leaving the room to face The Dursleys, he just couldn't.

* * *

Hours later he suddenly leapt up. He didn't like the sound of that. Apparition it sounded like, a distinctive popping sound of someone appearing out of nothingness. Clutching his wand for dear life he shakily went toward his door, he could hear people talking outside in the garden, arguing by the sound of it. He wasn't ready to fight at all physically or mentally, he was still trying to find a way to heal. A knock at the door came, followed by the ring of the bell, if he thought about it he would have realised that the argument was about which one to use, so why not both. Vernon Dursley waddled his way angrily toward the offending door, opening it and politely listening to the people there, but his nerves were getting short. _Definitely wizards then,_ Harry thought. The voice was familiar; it dragged him out of his protective little bubble and shook him to the core. He hadn't realised that there might be a person who feels even worse than he does. _Remus!_ Harry felt shame come about him and he opened the door and looked down the stairs just as Vernon was about to bellow up at him.

"Ah, there you are Harry, we were getting worried, and we haven't heard from you for more than five days, I thought we agreed on an owl every three days." Remus said from the hall where he and Tonks were standing. He looked a wreck, but it was accentuated by his shabbiness and furry tendencies.

Harry now came into the light and heard Tonks gasp and Remus' wince as if pinched. Vernon even backed down from shouting at him. Harry knew they too had seen his eyes, so dead with loss and pain. _Wait! Did he say five days?_ He asked himself, he must have been more out of it than he thought. "Yeah, three days, right. I must have lost track, haven't been sleeping much." He told them reluctantly, his voice cracking from lack of use. Automatically putting his mask up, surprised at how well he could hold it.

"Oh, well you should really try to sleep, can't be good for you staying up like this. We best be off then if you're okay. Remember, three days, send one tomorrow and we'll start from there." With that they rushed out the door. He could tell Remus felt a little uncomfortable being here. _Maybe it's me, _he mused as Vernon bustled into the living room, _and maybe I'm just too much off a reminder to him. _It didn't look like he was getting out of here this summer so he resigned himself to his fate – he almost smiled at that part – and returned to his room to think.

He realised it was early morning of his fifth day here now he paid attention, he lay down and almost immediately he fell into a dreamless sleep.

He woke up late the next day and his mind was clear, the crushing grief was still there but he could operate at least. He went about his business of unpacking and tidying, writ his letter to the Order. He got thinking about the prophecy and realised that he was in no shape to fighting Voldemort on a Hogwarts education, stellar as it was. He was going to need to train and hard. Dumbledore wouldn't do it, he would want to keep people sheltered from the war not train them to join it. Remus was probably the same, as well as every other adult. He could not blame them as he was doing the same thing really, fighting the war so others don't have to. He could not go into battle blind, which would be like jumping up and down with a glowing sign pointing to him.

The only option he could think of is to train on his own, it would be difficult and arduous but he knew he could do it. He'd need books, that means Diagon Alley, which would be very dangerous considering the Death Eaters were likely to come out into the open soon, plus he was being watched at every point, the invisibility cloak would get him past them until he got to The Alley. Then he would need a better disguise, his hooded cloak obviously, but he needed to change his face, Polyjuice was out of the question, magic as well. If he could get to Fred and Georges shop he could get some interesting sweets that would change him for bit. _Gringotts first, then the Twins shop and I'm off._

It was too late to go to sleep so he contented himself by going over some of his already owned books, there wasn't much he didn't know about them, he'd mastered every charm, hex, curse and transfiguration in them, plus more. He didn't teach the DA as much he would have liked, but that would be rectified this year, for the people who are not content to sit on the sidelines like himself he would train them to the best of his ability.

He roused himself after a few hours of dozing in his chair, Hedwig glaring at him after returning from the Order HQ for not cleaning he cage, refilling her water dish and not giving her treats. He promised he'd do these things once he got back from The Alley. Right now he needed to get his head in right place; he couldn't go into Diagon Alley a blubbering mess. Harry knew he was in no state to be traipsing over London; he'd rest up for tomorrow and head out the day after. For know he would make a rough schedule of for his training.

He couldn't get far without knowing what braches of magic he was going to study; Defence definitely, with a lot of offence too, Occlumency and Legilimency would be needed to keep Voldemort, Snape and possible Dumbledore out and to get what information he needed if it wasn't given willingly, he hoped it wouldn't come to that, he'd also needed to get in shape and maybe a armed and unarmed combat. It was going to be a long few weeks. Grabbing a piece of parchment, ink and a quill he spent a few minutes furiously scratching away. When finished he looked back at his work.

_Training Schedule_

_Breakfast_

_6.00 Am – 7.00 Am Running/Weight training_

_7.00 Am – 9.00 Am Armed and Unarmed Combat_

_Break_

_9.30 Am – 12.00 Pm Defence and Offence theory_

_Lunch_

_12.30 Pm – 3.00 Pm Occlumency_

_3.00 Pm – 5.30 Pm Legilimency_

He had to leave out practical magic to when he had free time at Hogwarts, it was pain, but what was the point in having his wand snapped when he had a job to do.

With that finished he thought he may as well start running early and got dressed in his oversized hand-me-downs, he'd get some new clothes when he went to London, and went out into the clear dew covered morning and jogged off down the street, taking it easy to warm up, he knew the Order were keeping tabs on him, the ragged panting from behind him told him that he was being followed by someone who was not even moderately in shape, even he found this as an average pace, Quidditch keeps you fit but not enough for him. Deciding to speed up just as he came to the park, muffled swear drifting from behind, he picked it up to a gentle run around the play area. The person behind him started to stagger after a few minutes, then eventually fall. Looking back he saw a disembodied foot a few metres behind him, he walked over and picked the invisibility cloak of them, and looked down on an exhausted Tonks, who looked up in surprise.

"You know, for Auror your really out of shape. You could have sat on the bench and waited till I went back. I wasn't going to run off." He told her. He was a little pissed off at the lack of trust but he let it pass knowing he deserved it.

"Oh...yeah…I suppose…your right. Why...are your out…running anyway?" She panted at him, staggering to her feet.

"Just getting into shape, there's a war going on you know, I won't get caught out if I have to run from something." Harry answered in a grave tone. He wouldn't tell anyone about his real training yet, they would try to shelter him and tell him it's unnecessary and that he didn't need to go to war. His friends would understand. Sirius understood. Sure Sirius wanted to protect him, but not leave him defenceless or ignorant. "Besides I don't have anything better to do, I'm not getting out of here anytime soon so why not do a little training? Can't do any harm."

"Well hello to Captain Sensible." She said. "But I suppose your right; it won't do any harm, except to me." She grabbed a cramp in her leg.

"I take it you're stuck on the morning shift this summer then. It'll do you good to get in shape. Honestly that was pathetic." Harry laughed for what felt like the first time in years.

"Hey, don't get smart with me!" Tonks cried angrily. This just made him laugh even more; she was not what most would call an imposing person, seeing her angry was hilarious.

"Did you just actually stamp you foot!" He was in complete hysterics now. "I didn't think people really did that!" Harry could see her lips twitching and her face flushing.

"Fine. Yes I am stuck with the morning shift so I will be joining you on your runs if you carry on with them. Its good see you too by the way. You seem to be a bit more yourself than from the other day." She said hesitantly.

Harry sobered up immediately. He wasn't sure he was ready to talk yet, the pain had eased, but it was still a little raw. "I guess you could say I realised that moping in my own self pity wasn't what he would have wanted. Do you miss him?" he asked her without preamble.

"I didn't really know him as well as I like, but yes I miss him, he was the only family outside parents that I had, it's good to see they're not all evil bastards. How are you holding up?"

"It was rough the first few days I got back, don't know how I managed to miss two days though, it's still pretty tough but I know I can't let it get to me, it'll tear me apart if I let it. No more than I deserve."

"What are you talking about? You don't deserve to lose your godfather." She told him firmly. She didn't get it, it was his entire fault.

"It's my fault, if I hadn't gone there, if I had only thought about it he wouldn't ha-"

"It is not your fault Harry! How could you think that? Did you fire the curse that hit him? Did you tell him to go there? NO! You didn't. Now you are to stop blaming yourself or I'll hex you myself!" she told him firmly. He could swear he saw tears beginning to fall.

"Wouldn't that go against the whole 'protect Harry' thing? Though it may not be entirely my fault, but it is partly. Hermione told me it was a trap but I didn't listen, she said I have a 'Saving people thing'. I think she might be onto something."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Harry wondered how much he could tell her of the prophecy if anything it would be such a relief to talk to someone who didn't think him to a weapon to hone or a child to be sheltered, even though she was on guard duty at the moment. He didn't want reveal anything to someone who reported to Dumbledore so he left it for now.

"You aren't very good at the hiding thing are you; I could hear you behind me since we left privet drive. Speaking of which, I should get back, c'mon you can walk with me." With that they set off at a slow pace.

"How's Remus? I should have asked the other day but I was so out of it, I'd only thought two days had gone by. He seemed really uncomfortable." He asked after a while. He was worried about his father's friend, it had to be hard to lose your best friends once, but have one of them torn away again must be torture.

"He's not doing well; he thinks you don't want to know him because he would remind you of Sirius, James and Lily. I tried to tell him that you would want to get know him more, but he wouldn't budge, the only reason he came by that day was because I dragged him and made him talk. None of us know how to get him out of it; all he does is stay in his room at Headquarters when he's not on missions. We're worried about him."

"Could you tell him I'd like it if we could meet up from time to time, you know, to talk. I'd really like to get to know him; I made a mistake of not doing that with Sirius." He asked her slowly. He wasn't really sure if this would be allowed considering his mounting security.

"Sure thing." She assured him quietly. "I'm not really supposed to tell you this Harry, but the Order isn't letting you leave here till the last few days of August. Dumbledore says this is the safest place for you right now, Molly went berserk and demanded you be sent to The Burrow or Headquarters, he told us all about the Blood Wards and she backed down but she's still on the warpath." Harry didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this news, he wanted time to train, but he needed to see his friends before they went to Hogwarts to tell them about the prophecy and his training.

"Typical Dumbledore. Was he even going to tell me! I mean it's my life for fuck sake!" Harry stormed; he thought Dumbledore would have learnt his lesson by what happened in his office.

"I don't know if he was, but I thought you had a right to know. You should see it from his point of view though, he has a war to orchestrate, and he's under a lot of pressure to do something about some of the small attacks around the country. He has to keep some things to himself, though not this, he's sure there's a spy in the Order, You-Know-Who is always one step ahead. We all have our own things to do, but none bigger than his."

Though Harry was now slightly ashamed of his behaviour he could see where she was coming from, it would be hard to lead this war with limited resources; he could understand the pressure though. Harry was under the most though no matter what Dumbledore had to do, even if the pressure was just coming from him, it was still wrong to keep thing so trivial as this from him though and he would tell him when he saw him next, this time he would smash his office up, but maybe a little shouting, just to get the point across.

"Though if I hear language like that off you again I will tell Molly." Tonks threatened just as she disappeared under her cloak.

Harry blanched. "No, you wouldn't, please, I like being alive, your pure evil." He said as he heard her laughed from across the street. He turned and stomped into the house just in time to hear Vernon summoning him to cook breakfast. It seemed that they didn't fear to talk or even look at him anymore. The day passed in a flurry of chores and fearful looks from Dudley which amused Harry to no end, at one point he discreetly followed his piggy cousin until Vernon locked him in his room for being a nuisance or it may have been for breathing, he didn't quite know. He set his alarm for 5.30 in the morning and got his cloak out, both invisible and black ones and then decided to get an early night ready for his trip to Diagon Alley.

In the morning Harry was surprised to see Tonks visible and also wearing a muggle tracksuit and trainers, it was a thoroughly confusing experience seeing as wizards and witches cannot dress like muggles even if they have a manual.

"Well…I'm shocked; you actually look like a muggle except for the pink hair. Though if you looked you probably could find a muggle with similar hair, but I have an inkling they wouldn't be dressed like that." She poked he tongue out at that and Harry laughed. "Well c'mon, seeing as you have the right equipment we can skip the warm up and go straight to the proper run." She grimaced at that, but kept up until they reached the park, and decided that she would sit on the bench while Harry ran about ten laps of the park. It wasn't much but he knew he needed his energy today. They walked back chatting amiably about everything and nothing, they touched briefly on the war but didn't linger on the depressing subject, and they talked about Sirius and what stories they had heard about him and his Hogwarts years.

"Remus said he can't meet for few weeks yet, he's doing some work abroad for the Order for the next few weeks, he'll owl you when he can meet." She said as she pulled an invisibility cloak out of her pocket.

"Okay. You know I'm actually starting to like spending time here, even if it's only because of you and eventually Remus make it bearable you could say. See you tomorrow, Tonks." He called as he opened the door to Number Four. He would have preferred to have his friends, but they may have not known what he was going through, but Remus and Tonks do.

"See you, Harry." Tonks' disembodied voice answered.

Harry ran up the stairs and grabbed a shower before his trip; he needed to time his departure with Vernon's departure for work in and half an hour's time. Once he was dressed once again in Dudley's cast offs, but this time for the last time, he grabbed both cloaks, tucking the black one in his pocket next to his wand an Gringots key, he threw the invisibility cloak over his head and made his way down stairs as Vernon was saying goodbye to aunt Petunia. Harry stayed close behind him and denied the temptation scare crap out of him. Just before the door closed Harry slipped through successfully, which was no mean feat with the like on Vernon Dursley going through the door. A mile or so later there was a loud noise like a gunshot and a figure robbed in black climbed onto a purple triple decker bus.

"Diagon Alley, please Stan."

"Righ' you are, sir." The now less spotty Stan Shunpike said. "That'a be firteen Sickles, or if you want some tea an' a bit of toast that'a be Fifteen Sickles." Harry paid the man and took his piping hot cup of tea to one of the mismatched seats and observed his surroundings the bus was now heading along a motorway. People around him were eying him suspiciously, he suppose he did look like he was up to no good with this cloak, he'd buy a less malicious looking one later.

"What stop is The Alley, Stan?" he called up to the front where Stan was talking to and elderly wizard with an enormous hat on.

"Two more stops, 'ogsmeade and Weymouth." He called distractedly.

BANG

They rolled through Hogsmeade's main street and stopped outside the Three Broomsticks. Harry pulled his hood a little lower as he saw Madam Rosmerta throw someone out of her pub. If he got recognized here he would be locked in Privet Drive all summer. Stan walked with the elderly wizard as he got off the Knight Bus, Harry realise elderly was the wrong word once he saw his face, he was positively ancient.

Fifteen minutes later Harry got off the bus at Charing Cross road and entered The Leaky Cauldron. The place was almost empty there were two wizards is the corner that may have been Aurors, but Harry didn't stay to find out, he needed to get to Gringots as fast as possible so he didn't get noticed. Taping the bricks out the back of the pub Harry was revealed to the once lively Diagon Alley, gone were the bright faces and extravagant signs in the front of the shops, replaced with grim faces and 'safe' signs, it saddened him to see it like this, here you couldn't doubt the rumours of war, it was dreary, before people would stop and talk happily with friends or shopkeepers, now they rushed about in groups desperate to get home safely.

Harry stole himself from his thoughts and marched purposefully to the big white building at the end of the alley, inside it was exactly the same as the other times he had been here. This was a wizard's war so the Goblins just went about their business as usual; if they or their bank was threatened by Voldemort they could harm his war effort easily by cutting off the Death Eaters funds, which could damn his whole war.

"Potter Trust fund, please." He told the goblin sat on the high desk. The goblin looked extremely surprised at the word please, it's not often a wizard shows respect to a goblin.

"Do you have your key Mister Potter?" the goblin asked with the same respect.

"Yes, here you are." Harry placed the key in front of the goblin, he inspected it and gave it back, and then he called for another goblin to take him down.

Harry recognized the little goblin as Griphook, the same goblin who took him down his vault previously. He wondered whether this was a coincidence or if Griphook was his account manager.

"Good morning, Griphook." Harry said politely. The goblin looked even more surprised than the other who served him.

"A good morning to you too Mister Potter. I see you remember me from you're previous visits. It is not usual for humans to remember our names or even show us a modicum of the respect you show now, I thank you for it." He told Harry respectfully

"You're more than welcome. I do not understand why other wizards refuse to show respect to the managers of out money, you more than deserve it for the work you do." Harry had to admit that even though it was true he was laying it on thick here, if he could make them see that not all wizards are prats, they may be more partial to ally themselves with the light side.

"Here we are Mister Potter, vault 687, key please." Harry handed him the key and watched as the mounds of gold appeared in front of him, he didn't know how much he was going to need so he filled a sack provided by Griphook with almost Five Hundred Galleons. He was about to leave when the goblin stopped him.

"Mister Potter we could put an undetectable extension charm on that bag and a weightless charm, it would make it easier when you need to take a lot of money." He told Harry.

"Oh." Said Harry slightly bewildered as why they didn't just give all the account holders these bags. They must cost quite a bit then if they only offer them to people who need to take out a lot of money. "Okay, I'll have another bag then; I need a lot of muggle money as well." Griphook handed him another bag out of nowhere.

Twenty minutes later harry left with Thousand Galleons and One Thousand Pounds. He didn't think he'd need it all but he wanted to be sure, and have enough so he didn't need to go back when he came for his school supplies and school.

He entered Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, where pandemonium reigned supreme, and headed towards the counter without being noticed, no one would look at him when there was the colourful packages on the shelves. He spotted Fred or maybe George he wasn't sure and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Morning Gred or is it Forge?" Harry asked one of the twins. He relaxed at that as he knew only a few people knew that nickname and all of them were either friends or Weasleys.

"Morning, now who may be under that hood? And its Gred or Fred if you want." Fred greeted him.

"Well, we could say that I'm your business partner so to speak." A look of dawning recognition passed over his face quickly replaced by an impressed grin. "I would like to talk to you in private if possible."

"Of course, follow me to the back room." They walked through crowd, George gave him a questioning look as passed the counter, and Fred just tapped his forehead in the place where Harry's scar would be, and George just nodded.

The backroom was dark and dusty shelves filled with boxes nowhere near the exuberance of the front of the shop, they were all plain and normal cardboard.

"Well this is a pickle we have isn't it." Fred said in mock serious stone.

"A pickle indeed my good friend." Harry replied the same.

A grin broke onto the unusually serious face of Fred. "So, how did you esc- I mean come to be here?"

"I hope you are not insinuating that I ran away from my highly trained Auror guard, I'm hurt that you would think so." Harry replied in shocked voice and hand on his chest as if anticipating a massive coronary.

"Oh no, I wouldn't do such a thing, the great Harry Potter can do whatever he wants, even miraculously appearing in this fine establishment without the people protecting you being any the wiser. It simply wouldn't do for the great Harry Potter to be hounded by Aurors everywhere he goes as well as his adoring fans." Fred looked outraged at the idea of it.

"Well down to business then. I need a disguise, I've got a bit of shopping to do and as you said it would not do to be recognized. I was hoping I could find something in this fine establishment that would help me stay undercover for a few hours." He told the twin while looking through several boxes on the dusty shelves.

The smile on Fred's face was one pure mischief incarnate; he would not like to get on the wrong side of that. "I think you came to the right place, we have few items that could help, for example a repulsion spray, you simply spray it on whatever you don't want people to notice, in your case your face, they would see you but not notice anything out of the ordinary such as a great blaring lightning bolt scar on your forehead or your very distinctive eyes, or your face in general, because good sir it's just hideous compared to the likes of the God standing before you, you may bow if you wish." Fred put up a very lordly expression and spread his arms wide and to the amazement of Harry he started to float. Harry stared open mouthed at Fred floating there until he was unceremoniously thrown into the wall with a mighty racket. Harry could barely keep upright with the effort of laughing; he really thought he was going to pass out from the lack of air. George came in just as Harry fell to the floor laughing like a maniac and Fred distantly asking if there was any roast beef left.

He remained laughing on the floor for about ten minutes and was about to recover when Fred asked "Pass the pie, George, mm best pie I've ever had this, Mum." That sent both him and George crying fits of hysterics which they would not recover from for another twenty minutes. Fred suddenly bolted upright and shook the debris of him and staggered to his feet. "Um…George!" he yelled.

"I'm right here you dolt." George told him from beside him. Both Harry and George were desperately trying to keep a straight face, but were failing to eliminate the small sniggers that were released every few seconds, though Fred din not notice.

"What?!" he looked round at both Harry and George and turned completely white. "AAGGGHHHH!!! It's happening already! AAAGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!" with that he promptly ran from the room screaming and limbs flailing all over the place.

"Um…okay, that wasn't at all weird." Harry said, too stunned to even laugh at such a spectacle.

"Oh, no of course it wasn't." George replied now going red was trying not to laugh. Composing himself he turned to Harry. "How did it happen?" his composure was starting to crack so told the story quickly from the point Fred started to float. The tattered ruins of George's composure lay at his feet, along with a once again hysterical George. "That… Heheheh! That Idiot HAhahahahaha! He actually tried the levitating lollies! Hahahahahahaha! They were just the prototypes, hadn't got the – the stabilising charm done! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Harry decided it was time he got on with his business and picked George to his feet with some difficulty, he was by no means a light person.

"Listen I need a disguise for the day, can you help me? Harry asked him over his continual laughing.

"Ye-Yeah." He gasped in between laughs. "Try the Glamour Gum, g-g-gives you a-a- a light twelve hour Glamour Charm in the style of your choice." He gained his breath back a picked up a pack of gum and handed it to Harry. "Just tap you wand on them and specify the appearance then chew away and hey presto! You're unrecognizable to the naked eye." George finished with an impressive flourish.

"Right, well, off I go." He told George as he tapped the gum specifying a inconspicuous appearance, nothing flashy just enough for him to seem normal but not suspiciously so. Chewing the gum he felt a charm set up on him and walked out to the front to find Fred hidden under the shelves brandishing his wand at the customers trying to coax him out. The sight was so comical Harry and George burst into laughter again. Harry forced himself towards the door and went on with his shopping.

He'd start with a new trunk to put his new stuff in, a multi-compartment like Mad-Eye had. Down the way he saw Magical Emporium for Everyday Magic. That sounded a good place to start so he made his way there. Inside he found exactly what he would need. The sales assistant told him that the trunk he was looking at was top of the line with six compartments. Three of them devoted to storage space, and a lot at that. The other three were a kitchen/dining room set up and another and a bedroom/bathroom and the last as a lounge/entertainment area. It was all completely furnished, but he asked if they did Gryffindor colours, he got the sense that they would paint it shocking pink with the money he paying for it. Five Hundred Galleons, and well worth it too. He left that shop very much satisfied, with a shrunken trunk in his pocket. Books would be next best place to go, get the essential first then go for the luxury.

In Flourish and Blotts he picked out five defence books, much more advanced than anything in the Hogwarts DADA classes. About seven on offence, these would be the ones he would study most intently, he realised that they could not just defend against the Death Eaters when they were out to kill, fight fire with fire you could call it. Also battle transfiguration and charms could be useful so he bought a few books on those. He only picked one book on Occlumency and the same for Legilimencey, he knew at least that there were different techniques and he would have to focus on one now. The combat stuff he chose countless books on a range of different styles, he wanted to be unpredictable, and nothing scares like the unknown. The bill came to an impressive Seventy Five Galleons, which even Hermione would be proud of. With a touch of his hand he enlarged his trunk and stacked the books neatly in the second compartment, he'd need the first for clothes and the third would random things like swords and the like.

Clothes were the next thing he would get in The Alley; he'd be heading into muggle London to get some muggle clothes, which most of the teenagers at Hogwarts wore on their days off. Madam Malkins was his next stop, Harry didn't really wear robes but seeing as he would be spending the rest of his life in this world he would need them. Assuming he would survive this war, he was determined to. Inside he saw the last person he ever expected to see in here. There standing on the podium being measured by Madam Malkin, Severus Snape scowled at him even though he didn't know it was Harry; he nodded curtly and averted his eyes from the Legilimens. Snape continued to glare at him and eventually looked back to the mirror. Harry's self-control was almost at his limit, this was the man to blame for Sirius' death not Harry. Not all his fault but mostly. The assistant came out and asked Harry if he would like some help.

"Err…yeah." He said distantly, he hadn't realised he'd been standing in the middle of the shop staring at the floor. "I…err…need two pairs of dress robes, one formal and one more business-like, and a few casual robes for everyday use." The assistant told him to get up on the podium next to Snape and to take his cloak of, Harry defiantly kept his dignity given his misfit clothes. The measurements took about twenty minutes, by this time Snape had stormed out giving Harry one last glare.

He chose a black set of robes for meetings he may or may not be having in the future and pair of dark red for balls and the like. His casual robes were various colours like grey, black, dark green, dark blue, and a sandy brown colour. He didn't know what he was going to use these for but he got them anyway. This costly expedition set him back Two Hundred Galleons.

_Wait! I need potions stuff. Damn it!_ He thought. He may not get into advanced potions but he would need to make healing potions and restorative draughts. Thirty Galleons later he had a master level potion kit, he was probably far from a master, but he supposed he had some skill without Snape breathing down his neck. He popped back into Flourish and Blotts and bought some potions and healing books.

Done with his magical shopping trip he went out into London and did some not so magical retail therapy. He needed some new work-out clothes, and some casual clothes and maybe a suit or two.

Heading off to the centre of London he stopped in a few obscure stores and picked up some practice weapons: daggers, knives and swords, threw them in his trunk in an alley on the way into the centre.

He got back to privet drive two hours later, Five Hundred Pounds, Seven Hundred and Fifty Galleons lighter. His mind also felt a little less jumbled after everything that had happened, he didn't feel as if he had to continually punish himself for Sirius' death. He felt generally lighter.

Asleep as soon as he hit the pillow Harry slept all the way to the alarm. Fitted out in his new tracksuit and trainers he went out to find Tonks dressed in a similar manner.

She wolf whistled. "Wow, you look good, where did you get them?"

"My aunt has some catalogues; I ordered them over the phone, special delivery. Got a load of others too, and I got in touch with Madam Malkin and she's going to send me some new robes, so no more hand-me-downs for Harry." Harry told her brightly. The story had to be convincing, with a little investigation it would fall apart. She seemed to accept it and they set off for the park, there wasn't much progress yet in the way of stamina but harry definitely started to feel fresher after the runs.

Once back at Privet Drive he settled into the sitting room of his trunk with his books on unarmed combat, he went through stretches and the breathing exercises and started the basic stances and techniques. It was difficult work for a beginner, but the end benefits would be well worth it. Taking one of his fencing books and a wooden sword he slowly went through the sword dances, he could see where some these moves could be applied to wand duelling.

After two hours of combat he took a break and go to get a snack. On his desk there were three letters, and an irate Hedwig.

"Sorry girl. Here you go." He relieved her of her burden and gave her a few owl treats. Picking up the letters he saw Hermione's meticulously neat handwriting, Ron's scratch that made Harry think the chickens taught him how write and an elegant script which he suspected to be Remus'. He opened Hermione's first while he at his snack of a ham salad sandwich.

_Harry,_

_How are you? How has your summer been so far? Are they treating you well? If they're not you should tell Professor Dumbledore. He told me to tell you that. Demanded is more the word, but I think he's got your best interests at heart. _

_Have you started your homework yet? I've nearly completed mine, the essay for history of magic was particularly fascinating, I mean I would have never guessed that werewolves an vampires have such a history, its completely riveting. The potions one is a little killer though, Snape really shouldn't have set it, its NEWT work, the Draught of Living Death is not even on the OWL curriculum, not even mentioned and he still set it! The NEWT class must be very challenging. Transfiguration though is by far the most interesting, I would love to become an animagus, imagine being an animal with just a thought, I think I might ask her how to become one since I turn seventeen so early in the term. _

_Professor Dumbledore said he's moving me as soon as I'm ready to leave. Are you going there soon? I kept asking if we were going to same place as last summer, but he said that I was being sent to a charming place in the country. When I asked about you he said he had a meeting and left, has he told you anything? _

_Has Ron sent you a letter yet? He's already sent me two, and most of them were worrying about you, you'd think he had a thing for you, Ginny might have some competition! Yes I did just make a joke, it's not unheard of you know._

_I hope to see you soon, Diagon Alley or on the train are my safest bets I suppose. _

_Please be careful_

_Love _

_Hermione_

_P.S. Don't you go beating yourself up about Sirius, don't blame yourself! Or I'll hex you into next Christmas!_

Harry had to laugh, she knew him better than anyone, even Ron, and she would always know what was bothering him, even when she wasn't here. He also had to admit that apart from Snape's work the homework set was a little interesting, especially the animagus work, he'd been toying with the idea for a while now, and realised he need one more book. That's Hermione though always making him think. The thing she said about Ron having a thing for him was just downright disgusting with kind of absurd humour, it made his skin crawl and want to laugh at the same time.

Ron's letter was likely to be pretty similar but without the studying. If Ron started asking him about how he was doing on his homework, it would mean a trip to St Mungo's.

_Harry,_

_How you doing, mate? You holding up? You better, Gryffindor needs you for the cup this year. So, what've you been up to so far? It's been a right bore here, we're barley left outside at all, Mums going ballistic on the smallest of things, to be expected though I suppose. _

_Hermione told me to tell you to stop blaming yourself, as much as I hate to admit it, she's right, I hate it when she's right, except this time obviously. Also she said something about homework. I like the idea of becoming an animagus but not writing an essay about them, I'm sure you can understand that, it would be so cool!_

_Dumbledore's been round a few times, don't really know what he wants, just talks with mum and dad and leaves, I think mum wants to get you away from the muggles as soon as possible. Are they treating you okay? I doubt they would be very happy after last summer anyway._

_Well best rap it up here: Ginny's nagging me to use Pig. And it's not your fault! I may not hex you like Hermione but I will give you a good talking to! And shut up, I'll have you know that my talks are very inspirational when they want to be._

_See you soon (Hopefully)_

_Ron_

_Inspirational my arse!_ Harry thought. It was nice to hear from his friends, but it still rankled a bit when they thought that he was going to break down just because they weren't here, even though it was mostly true, well was true, the pain was still there but now it was numbed by a new sense of determination, he needed to do something, something useful to help no matter what Dumbledore or his friends would say, he'd would include them, but they couldn't stop him.

The third letter was indeed from Remus, even though he'd been expecting it he still felt a little surprised his former professor had actually written, he'd thought Remus would resent him a little for making Sirius run to Harry's rescue, Harry himself resented himself.

_Harry,_

_I'm sending this before I leave, just encase Tonks didn't get the message to you. I'm not sure what has prompted you to want to talk with me, but I appreciate it greatly, I know Sirius' death was hard on you, to have someone so close to you ripped away after so little time is not something that anyone should go through least of all you, who has been through so much already. _

_I would very much like to meet with you, it would help us both, and I shall contact you when I can._

_Sincerely _

_Remus Lupin _

Harry didn't know if Remus always wrote like this but it seemed very formal and closed off, very much like his persona in person, a suffer in silence kind of thing. Harry felt guilty at not getting to know his father's friend sooner, Remus could probably tell him more even than Sirius did, seeing as he was always the quieter of the four, but by far the most responsible and observant, he would not let their memory die, and Remus was the only link left to them. The man would likely feel used if he just asked about his parents and Sirius, but Harry genuinely wanted to get to know him as a person and break through the barriers that hadn't really broken since his parents died.

Lifting one of his many defence books out of his half stocked miniature library Harry placed the letters down on his desk in the sitting room for later. This particular book, _Native Defence: Celtic and Welsh Edition, _had grabbed Harry's attention in the book store, he'd never known that the natives to Great Britain had created spells using their native tongue; he thought it was all Latin or variations of it. Most of the book was made up of different types of shields, each one with its own advantages and disadvantages against certain spells, one he found very intriguing was _Skeito, _a very powerful Celtic shield absorbed the spells coming at it and using the magical energy to power up the shield, he didn't know what range of spells this covered but he was sure it was most basic curses and hexes, anything like an unforgivables would get through by the description given. Another spell was a sort of diversion, it created a perfect illusion that could fire off harmless spells as a distraction, _Lledrith corff _was the incantation, and just the language may confuse the enemies he had to face.

An hour later he picked up the first book on offensive spells out of his trunk, this was the most anticipated subject he would be studying, he could see no other way to defeat the Death Eaters than to incapacitate them, if that meant that he had to kill them or just injure and capture them then so be it, he was not eager to kill so to speak, but he knew he would have to, so he may as well go into a situation like that with the weapons he had at his disposal.

The book he picked up, _When you Need to Blow Something Up _was a rather comical approach but it seemed to hit the nail on the head as far as Harry was concerned, not to serious that no-one will pay attention but not too funny that people will take it as a joke. The first spell that really made him laugh was the Mesko Charm, which made the target feel very drunk, sort of like a Confundus Charm but with the added humour of being completely trashed like you've been drinking Firewhiskey like water. There were others but he couldn't help but crack up when he thought of Voldemort getting hit by it, just imagining him staggering about trying to cast a spell straight was too funny.

He went downstairs for lunch and was immediately confronted by Vernon.

"Decided to show your face have you. Well it's about time; there are things for you to do in this house. You have to pull your weight; I won't have you freeloading of us." Vernon growled in his face. Vernon didn't seem as intimidating as before, it was strange seeing him like this, almost from a third person perspective, he was a bit pathetic in all honesty, Harry couldn't find it in himself to be scared.

"No." Harry told him calmly and decisively, it felt good. "I am not your slave, I am not here to 'do your bidding' as it were, I'm here because I have no choice, I don't like it, you don't like it, so how bout you leave me be and I'll leave you be like have been."

"How dare you speak to me like that? I put a roof over your head gave you clothes and fed you, and this is how you repay me." Vernon was going a very strange tone of blue by now and multiple veins were ready to rupture on his forehead. Petunia and Dudley were peering round the corner from the kitchen. Dudley looked like he wanted to object a little but did not act on the impulse. Petunia seemed torn between her hatred of Harry and wanting to keep things quiet so everything seemed normal.

"Actually I'm wearing my own clothes if you haven't noticed, I went out and bought them, and the food is made from the things I've bought when I go out." That was a lie, but Vernon didn't know that. "So don't lecture me about clothes and food when they have nothing to do with you." He stormed past them, leaving them slightly shocked in the hallway, making a quick sandwich and hastily retreating to his room for his mind training. He dint want to have to confront them this soon, it would make things strained for the summer. The food idea was not bad, he had quite a lot of muggle money left so he may as well make use of his kitchen in his trunk, and he wouldn't have to leave his room then, except for when he needed to shop for food.

The Occlumency book, _It's All in Your Head, _ was the best seller in this type of book, the terminology was complicated but Harry couldn't help but feel as if this was the simpler version, a good place to start he supposed. Basically it said that your mind is like an ocean, powerful, confusing and unpredictable. Boats or ships represent the rational and intentional thoughts and sea creatures being the random thoughts that generally don't get aired to the world, inconsequential thoughts like 'Is Snape really afraid of shampoo?' intriguing thoughts, but not really major eloquent masterpieces. The swirl of the current of the ocean represents the memories, turbulent and calm at the same time. The book mentions that some minds already have a semblance of control once they reach seven, the normal age for magic to show itself, Harry was not one of these people. Obviously. To calm this ocean it says you have to sort each memory into a flow that fits like a flow for certain people, like his friends or the DA. It was a simple enough activity, but with the memories Harry had it would be painful and could take hours, none the less he ploughed on through till the late hours on the morning then promptly fell into a undisturbed sleep, so ended his first day of training.

It was going to be a long summer.

* * *

Taaaaadaaaaaa, yeah anyway, REVIEW if you know whats good for you. i'll update whenever i can.


	2. Chapter 2

Ok people, here it is, the long awaited chapter two. *Fanfare&Streamers*

And thanks for the reviews, really, I'm honoured.

I Own Nothing. Nothing. You Hear.

OK this chapter is going to a be a little cliche-tastic. They may not have any relevance to the story but I couldnt help myself

Now on with the show...  
**

* * *

It Starts Chapter Two – Claws Spreads his Wings**

Pecking, loud pecking, loud insistent pecking, loud insistent unholy pecking is what woke Harry up, looking over at his clock he saw 12:00 Am, he was officially sixteen years old, he wasn't much different from when he was fifteen, except for the last few weeks, his training had been going steady while the summer ran away from him, it was because of that training that he was no longer a scrawny little shit, his shoulders were broader, his chest and abs more defined, his arms sculpted from the hours of weight training and sword practice. He looked almost healthy, sure he was still underweight for someone his age, but that would remedy itself once in school.

At the window there were a whole flock of owls waiting to be let in. _Merlin, they don't half know how to keep time._ Flipping the latch he was lost in a feathery storm. The first owl that actually calmed down was Hedwig, ever the embodiment of decorum. She held a simple brown paper package, a badly wrapped brown package. Once relieved of her load she settled in her cage and glared at the other owls. The package was a birthday gift, obviously, from Ron or Hagrid by the state of the paper. There was a not on the top.

_Happy Birthday!!!_

_Wish we could celebrate in person, but hey what can you do. We should have a big party in the Room of Requirement when we're back in school. Anyway onto presents, here you have some of the latest Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes: the Defence Line, it contains all sorts of cool stuff, like Decoy Detonators, great for distractions, Instant Darkness Powder, Glamour Gum (Worst name ever!), and some other stuff you might find useful. Happy Birthday again, Mum and Dad are telling me to tell you to be careful, and I have to say I agree with them mate. They said some of the attacks have been pretty gruesome, most of them are unreported. Be careful, please._

_Ron_

Harry knew they all meant well, but Harry knew he could handle himself, even before he started training. Harry could now recite almost a hundred spells used to defend against, fight with, hide from and escape Death Eaters. _Wow, this is morbid._ Shaking his head he picks up the next letter.

_Harry _

_A very happy birthday to you! I wish I could be there, I know it can't be very enjoyable to be stuck there. We're all trying to get Professor Dumbledore to let you come here but he keeps saying it's the safest place for you, please don't do anything stupid. Your present is probably not something you'd expect from me; I know I'm usually quite predictable. Happy Birthday!_

_Love_

_Hermione _

_Wow_, Harry lifted the small golden ball from the red box._ A Snitch!!!! A Fucking Snitch!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! _Jumping up and racing round his room, not really sure what he was doing. Hermione was now his most favourite person in the world; he had a snitch, just like his dad. If it wouldn't make Ron have a tantrum he'd kiss her.

The next present was the most surprising by far, it was from Ginny, she'd never sent him a letter before never mind a present, a little confused he picked up the square package, the paper fell away easily. Inside was a picture, but no note. The picture was of last Christmas at Grimmauld Place, it was of him, Sirius, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Sirius had his arm around Harry's shoulder, he looked happier than he had ever seen him, Ron and Hermione kept looking sideward's at each other, Ginny looked happy, but not as happy as everyone else, Harry chalked it up to her dad being in St Mungo's. Harry himself looked beyond happy, he was with the people he loved so why wouldn't he be. He placed the picture on his desk and moved on to the next present, he was not ready to think about Sirius yet.

He only had two other presents, an Auror handbook from Remus and Tonks and a fang of some unknown creature on a necklace from Hagrid. There were two more ornate packages tied to an official looking envelope. One was blacker than night with a large obsidian gemstone in the top, the other was ruby red and edged with shinning gold. The letter surprisingly, had the Gringotts seal proudly displayed on the front. Completely bewildered Harry ripped the opening to find two letters, one from Griphook and the other from a goblin by the name of Bareclaw.

_Mr Harry James Potter,_

_As per the wishes of parents will you as of today you will receive a large amount of your inheritance, while part of this inheritance makes you the head of the House of Potter and an adult in that sense, you are still not permitted to perform magic. The rest of the inheritance is mainly access to the Potter Family vault and possessions within; it also contains a number of estates and smaller properties. I would like to meet with you to discuss these and any other matters you wish to handle._

_May your gold flow like a river._

_Account Manager_

_Griphook_

_Wow, another thing I didn't know about, Harry_ thought dryly. Though he supposed this was not as harmful as the prophecy. He could not find himself to even be angry at the prophecy or Dumbledore anymore. It looked like another trip to Diagon Alley was in order, lucky he had that Glamour Gum now. He wondered if he could go live at one these estates or properties without anyone's knowledge, just slip away so to speak, he would have to look into it. The next letter was of a similar vein though it felt a little more like an insult.

_Mr Harry James Potter,_

_Your presence is required at the will reading of one Sirius Orion Black III. Be at the front desk at 10.00 Am 3__rd__ of August. _

_We are sorry for your loss._

_Bareclaw_

_Distribution and Will Department_

_Gringotts_

Harry quickly blinked away the tears as loud footsteps stop outside of his bedroom. Hands fumbling with the locks tell him it his Uncle Vernon, ever since Harry had talked back to him a few weeks ago he'd been very jumpy around Harry, it amused him to no end, it's not like he cursed him or something, so why all the jumpiness. It was still pretty late or early if you like, and the door snapped open to reveal a very angry and drunk Vernon Dursley.

"BOY!" He shouted, staggering into the room. "It's time you start pulling your weight around here. Get and wash my car, you ungrateful freak!"

_He's totally lost it._ "Err, it's a little late isn't it, but I'm not doing that anyway." Harry grabbed the Auror Handbook.

"Yes, you are doing it, NOW!" Vernon lunged.

Harry found himself being thrown to the bottom of the stairs looking up at an intoxicated elephant that was Vernon.

"You little brat! How dare you speak to me like that!" He pulled his arm back to punch Harry, he hadn't actually hit since before school. Harry stepped forward with speed and brought his knee forcefully into a fairly delicate spot. He watched as Vernon crumpled to the floor in pure gut wrenching agony.

"I've told you before; I'm not yours to boss about, like I said if you stay out if my I'll stay out of yours. No need to get me a gift." Harry said dryly. He ran upstairs and continued his reading before falling asleep.

* * *

"So, Harry what are you gonna do for your birthday? If you say read like you have for last three weeks I'll take you out myself." Tonks told him sternly.

"Hm, are you asking me out Tonks? If it is I must tell you, I'm a dangerous person, I might get you hurt." Harry laughed. He joked about it, but he knew it was true.

Tonks giggled and flushed a little. "Flirting with the help Harry, aren't you the charmer. No it won't be a date; I'm like six years older than you. Plus Molly would skin me alive if I so much as look at you the wrong way." She winked making Harry blush in return.

"I'll think I'll relax today, maybe go into London, I've got business with Gringotts. Suppose I'll have to have a full Order Guard for that as well. Could I skip that and just bribe you with excessive amounts of ice cream and chocolate or maybe you could come with me it, won't take long." He looked hopefully up into her amused face.

"Sure, I'll come; I'll keep from Dumbledore as well if I can. I'm telling Remus though." Harry groaned as she chuckled." How are things with him?"

"Oh, well it was a bit awkward at first, but once we both let each other in, it was just like talking to Ron or Hermione. We mainly talk about my parents, Sirius or school, some of the things they got up to is downright hilarious. It hurts a little from time to time, but it's getting better. I got the notice for his will the other day, sort of makes it final doesn't it; I don't want anything from him. I just want him back." Harry started sobbing when Tonks wrapped him in her arms. Harry let out all his anger and frustration that had built up over the past month, his fury at Dumbledore and the prophecy. They both cried in each other's embrace until their tears were utterly spent.

Tonks cleared her throat and brushed her hair out of her face. "Well, let's get going then."

"Thanks, Tonks, for… well… being here these last few weeks, it's helped a lot." Harry scuffed his feet on the ground and stared at the trees over her shoulder.

"Same to you Harry." She looped her arm through his and in a second he was standing in front of Gringotts.

"Wow, that's handy."

They walked in arm in arm, it was a friendly thing. Tonks wasn't like that to him, more of a big sister; she was a good listener and made him laugh when he was in one of his moods. Harry came to realise that though his blood family were bastards, his real family was bigger and better than he had ever imagined, he had brothers, sisters, an uncle of sorts, parents, sort of, _Yea, I like this family._

Harry was taken up to an office near the back of the building, the halls were just as extravagant as the entrance hall, marble and wood mixed elegantly. The torches burned brightly shinning of the floor and the axes and armour that lined the walls. Sinister goblins glared at them from out of paintings. _If looks could kill_, Harry thought. Tonks took a position left of the door as Harry knocked the door and entered.

Griphook's office was positively terrifying. The walls had been covered in dozens of gruesome pictures of bloody battles, some of the weapons from the battles; Harry thought he even saw some dried blood on them. Griphook sat behind a huge desk covered scrolls, scales, quills and ink in a plush leather wingback chair on rollers. The half light from the gas lamps cast an eerie glow on an already eerie goblin

"Ah, Mister Potter, I'm glad you could make it so soon. Please take a seat." He pointed to one of the smaller leather chair in front of the desk.

"Please, call me Harry. I was surprised to get your letter; I thought I had already received my inheritance."

"Well, you received part of it, but as I said in my letter, they specified that you receive access to the Family Vault and all that comes with it, such as the title and the properties. While this is mostly straight forward, there have been some complications. Albus Dumbledore is challenging some of their wishes, mainly the properties but also the title you will receive. His reasons as far as I know are to keep you at your current residence; he is adamant that you remain there. Can you give me a reason why you should stay?" Harry stared at the goblin intently, his anger flaring up. _How could he do this again?! Doesn't he know when he makes a mistake?_

"I think, that he wants me there because of the err…unique protections on where I live now. How do I deny his challenge? I don't exactly hold a lot of standing to go against Dumbledore." Harry looked to the goblin hopefully, if he could deny his challenge Harry could escape Privet Drive, Blood Wards or no Blood Wards.

"Well he can't actually do anything; it is up to us whether he has a valid challenge, and so you do not really have to do anything unless called upon. His case for the challenge is shaky at best but it should be done within the week, we will send you a report of proceedings. Now, with the rest of your inheritance there are some things that your parents wanted me to tell you, this information has not ever been revealed to anyone except the family, it very delicate information. I don't really know how to put this so I'll just come out with it. Harry, you are the last living descendant of Godric Gryffindor."

Harry just gaped at him. _Oh my god! Does it never end! Now I'm fated to fight that Dark Twit twice! AHHH woe is me!_ Harry thought half sarcastically. "You can't be serious. I thought all the founders heirs died out years ago."

"No, family names die out or change either by marriage or they are given the name and it sticks. Not the most official way but that's how things worked in those times. While this will not really affect your life in major ways it will have repercussions, such as a higher control over Hogwarts, you will no longer need passwords, there are other things but they are not known to any but the heir or the family. There are journals in the vault which you can look at later."

Griphook jumped down from his seat and ambled over to one of the massive bookshelves, he took down an expansive book with the same markings as the box he had received last night. "This is the Potter holdings, all properties, heirlooms, and all investments that your family has accumulated over the last thousand years, while you technically don't own Hogwarts as it is a public building, but as I said before you will have more control over it. You now own a number of small properties across Europe, a chalet in the Swiss Alps, an apartment in Rome, and a lodge in Sweden, the details are in this book. In Britain you own a town house in London, a cottage in Ireland, you currently rent out and apartment block in Manchester, the cottage in Godrics Hollow, which has been classed as an historical site. Your main property in Britain is your ancestral home of Potter Manor, it's been empty for almost seventeen years but I understand that there is a team of house elves keeping it running. All heirlooms are either in the Family Vault or at Potter Manor; further details are in this book with all investments too." The goblin passed book to Harry. He held it reverently like a priceless piece of art.

"Wow…I…wow." An idea suddenly presented itself to Harry, it was a sneaky idea a, very sneaky idea, and he loved it. "Griphook, which house the most protection? Would I be right in assuming that it's Potter Manor?"

"Yes, it has a millennia worth of the best protections available to wizards, it is the safest building in Britain next to Hogwarts and Gringotts. You would be perfectly safe there unless you let Voldemort himself have the ward list. There are some very interesting wards in place, some goblin ones, for when we don't want the ministry interfering if you get my meaning." Griphook answered with pride.

"Yes, perfectly. If that is all Griphook I would like to see this vault." Harry asked.

"Of course Mister Potter."

"Please call me Harry."

* * *

After a few stops on The Alley Tonks apparated Harry back. A gobsmacked Harry collapsed onto the park bench near Privet Drive. He currently had two letters, four journals and ruby and emerald encrusted daggers stashed in his cloak, also the specialised port key to Potter Manor tucked safely into his trouser pocket. He would leave next week.

"You are totally loaded Harry. You are going to have girls coming at you faster than Death Eaters." Tonks laughed.

"I'm glad you find me being besieged by girls so funny. It's a pain being this famous you know, what would I give for a semi-normal life?" Harry said dryly.

"Oh yea, you have it bad, girls, fame, money not to mention all the property."

"Let's not forget the band of merry men that go by the name of Death Eaters and Daddy Darkness himself." Harry laughed grimly.

Harry tried desperately not to think about the prophecy, he had yet to confront it, he knew that he had to learn to fight, to survive, but battling Voldemort was another thing entirely, he would need years if not decades of experience and skill just to not get killed. He thought as they slipped into contemplative silence that he should tell someone, someone who would not run away screaming at the top their lungs. Looking at Tonks he figured that she would not in fact run, she would probably laugh it off, but he needed to tell someone.

"Has Dumbledore talked about the prophecy much at the meetings?"

Tonks looked taken back at first then looked at Harry thoughtfully, that was all the answer he needed but he kept his silence anyway. "Yes, in part, none of us know the contents except him, he won't budge on who ever asks, mainly Molly and Remus, but he stopped after the first few attempts, Molly on the other hand has been like a steam train, she never lets up. I think Moody has some idea, but he just says it's not his place to speculate and leaves it at that."

"I could have told you Moody would have got it sooner or later, he's way to paranoid not to guess at everything possible, we'll see if what he thinks is true soon enough." Harry took a deep breath and ploughed on. "How's your Occlumency?"

"Pretty good, why?" Tonks wore a look of concern at this.

"Put up some privacy spells and I'll tell you the prophecy." He avoided her questioning gaze and waited while she put up the spells. "Now I'm telling you this in complete confidence, you can talk to Dumbledore about it if you want but not anyone else, I'll tell Remus later this week, and the Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville when we're back at school. It goes like this…" Harry recited the prophecy to Tonks, who went from confused to thoughtful to blubbering mess in time it took, Harry held her while she cried, it was not the best reaction, but it was better than her running away from him, he needed his friends right now.

"Sorry, Harry. Kinda lost it there." She said thickly, while wiping the stray tears of the red face.

"No problem, Tonks." Harry said comfortably. "It's a lot to take in, it's such an immense thing, and someone up there hates me with a vengeance. The pressure is unbelievable, I've been training in my spare time and I don't think I can do it, not against him." Harry dropped his head into his hands in defeat.

"I believe in you Harry." She smiles down at him. He feels a little hope come to life.

* * *

It was weird, beyond weird. One minute he was meditating on his bed and now he was on this strange battlement in the middle of the wild. He'd been standing here for hours just looking, feeling quite content to just be. It was a feeling he was rather uncomfortable with, it was alien to him, never in his life had he had the chance to just be, it was both Dudley and his band of ruffians, or Tom Riddle and his cohort trying to artfully make him shuffle of the mortal coil. He almost missed the action this summer. Well… not quite.

"It's peaceful, is it not? Many people have spent years here just looking." The man had been there for a few minutes, but Harry had felt no compulsion to talk to him, he brought a foreboding feeling with him, unsettling the peace.

"Yes, it's beyond anything I've ever seen or felt before, I'm not used to peace, it's a strange feeling, almost as if I were under the Imperious Curse, but seeing as I wouldn't exactly admit that and still be able to feel it, I doubt that's it." Harry told him, still looking out over the peaceful landscape.

"Indeed, it's not that disgusting curse, a terrible use of magic if you ask me. That feeling is what this place is; it is the place in between you could call it, a place where nothing matters. We don't have much time. I know you were recently told about your true heritage, a shock I'm sure, but we must power on with our conversation. My name in my own tongue is Merddin you may know me as Merlin."

_Wow, I must have really gone round the twist now._ Harry appraised the ancient figure in front of him; he could swear he was looking at Dumbledore if it wasn't for depth of his eyes, you could see the wealth of knowledge, and if possible he twinkles more than Dumbledore, _I really need to know how to do that. _"Seriously? Okay, why am I here? It's not exactly convenient; I have an important appointment with a house-elf. He gets quite grouchy." Harry says cheekily to Merlin.

He chuckles. "Don't worry I'll keep this as brief as possible. I am here to tell you more about your heritage; I am distantly related to you, not as closely as Godric, a fact he is always eager to point out, but closest alive, you could say I'm you many time great uncle, but let's not get into trivialities. I would not usually visit you until you are of age, but needs must and so on. Now, I have one more thing to tell you before you leave me to my game of chess that I have planned a rather infuriating dog…blasted man." He mutters under his breath, the casual mention of Sirius catches Harry of guard and he catches himself before he wrings Merlin's neck to take to him to his godfather. "When you wake you find that you have a little extra power going spare, wandless and silent magic will become almost as easy as breathing, but you must control it, it is not a toy, by all means have fun, but don't abuse this responsibility, I know you need this power now, and so I came a year early. Use it well." He faded into mist and all went black.

* * *

He quite obviously brushed the dream of as an accumulation of all the pressure that has been building inside him, but a rather than freak out he ups his meditating and fitness to work out some of the aggravation and frustration. While practicing some of the transfiguration material that he would be doing during his sixth year, something quite odd happens.

"_Gladius"_

He jumps about halfway through the ceiling when a rather intricate sword appears in front of him.

"Oh." He said faintly. "That's…new."

He picks it up, and find it's quite real, and heavy, taking a few swings he find a perfect weight balance for him. He walks through a few fight dances and slices his lamp in two, and there is a strange occurrence of feathers, _Crap, maybe a few reparo's could sort this._ The lamp turn out better than they were in the beginning, twenty minutes later most of his possessions are either restored to their former glory or have transformed into brand new items. He finally stumbles upon the realisation of what he has to do. Relearn every spell again. _Merlin, I really hate you. Damn you and your infernal need to help me._

Dropping into his library he sets to work on performing all the spells that he find useful in the mounds of books that adorn his walls, in the background a suspect potion is simmering away, a curious potion this was, it was very sparsely used, only when the ability presents itself. Animagi were very rare, so rare that even in Britain there were only half a dozen registered animagi. Harry had been anticipating this potions completion since he finished adding the last ingredient before his meditation last night. The potion was used to reveal a persons animagus form or forms, but a multiple animagi had not been seen for hundreds of years. Harry's interest had been sparked when he came across the term in a one of his many Human Transfiguration based books, he was always intrigued by the idea, never thought he had the power or the time to complete it. Well now was different, his whole summer was going to be spent in one place, so why not? And with last night's revelation he could not see a thing that would hold him back now.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Harry." A bedraggled man greeted him as he entered the park.

"Hey Remus." Harry said as he embraced the man he had come to see as an Uncle figure.

"How are you? Not running yourself ragged I hope." Remus had found his and Tonks routine very entertaining, and constantly teased them about it, and went on and on about his heightened physical prowess being a werewolf and all. It was quite annoying.

"Ha ha, I have to say that is getting old Moony, just like yourself I see." He ducked the slap aimed at his head and taunted on. "Getting a little slow there, old man. Would you like a little help, shall I just use one hand to take you down." Harry was quickly set upon by a pissed off werewolf.

Moony quickly wrestled harry to the ground and locks his arms behind his back.

"What was that Harry, I can't hear you over the sound of you eating dirt?" Moony laughed, he always beat him.

"Oh please, I let you win. If I felt the inclination I would simply have Tonks come and make you blush then we'll see who wins." Harry drawled, Moony went as red as three weeks holiday on the face of the sun and walked sheepishly over to the bench muttering about clones and arrogant berks.

"I've been good too." Harry laughed as he brushed himself off and strutted of to the bench.

"You're stronger, too much so, for so little time, what happened?"

"Oh…uh…well it's like this…." He spouted off in one breath what happened in the dream and how freaked out he was by the sword, nothing about the lamp though, obviously.

"Yeah, same thing happened to James, not to this extent though, he got a few wandless spells and the physical boost but that was about it. How much did you get?" Moony asked casually.

Harry sat there like looking like an air vent before he processed what had been said. His dad had this as well!

"Umm…I can do almost all the spells through sixth year already, plus a few others from some books I ordered wandless, I'm a lot faster and stronger, my senses are bit better too. Except these damn eyes though, I mean they're better but I still need my glasses…." Harry trailed off as he saw the flabbergasted expression on his friends face.

"Uhh….Moony?" Harry nudged him and he fell straight off the bench and bolted back upright, he burst out laughing as Moony tried to gather his marbles.

"All of them? That must be almost two hundred spells. The power you have must be mind-blowing, James could only muster a mildly powerful blasting hex, wow." He sat there rambling to himself until Harry could take no more and blurted out the prophecy, it took Remus a minute to figure out what he had said.

"What?" He choked out.

"Yeah, Dumbledore told me after Siri…..after the Ministry. I knew it would come down to both of us eventually but to have it so black and white right there in front of me is something else entirely, I know I can do it….I think. I've though so much about running, but whenever I think about it I can't help but imagine what I'm leaving behind, the people, the places and I can't move. I need time, I'm not leaving but I'm not staying either, you and Tonks are the only people I'm telling just encase you need me or if I need you." Harry finished in a monotone; this was the hardest part of leaving, it took all his very limited occlumency skills to keep from breaking down. "We better get going."

A trip to a dark shop in Knockturn alley and a stop in a grocery shop to set up an account, Harry and Remus found themselves in a private room in Gringotts with Tonks for the reading of Sirius' will.

"All present for the reading of the will of one Sirius Orion Black III. The reading will now commence." Bareclaw announced soberly from the small pedestal at the front of the room.

A pensieve image rose out of the centre of the table in the image of Sirius, cocky grin in place and a flick of his dark hair.

"I Sirius Orion Black III being sound body and mind… shut up Moony. As I was saying I Sirius Orion Black III being sound body and mind… I am warning you Moony."

"Ok first off I'm going to leave the Tonks family, one million Galleons, reinsertion to the black family plus a few family heirlooms that won't kill you. Also I want you to look out for Harry; he's going to need all the help he can get now."

"Next to Remus 'Moony' Lupin, I leave half of my estate and an unlimited account at Madam Malkins. If you don't get yourself some clothes I will order the lovely Nymphadora to take you." Remus blushed like a school girl at that and looked at his hands on the desk.

"Harry, well, I never thought I would ever meet you, you saved me when I was on the point of breaking, for that I am forever grateful, now onto the more important stuff. First off I leave you the other half of the estate. More than that I want you to have fun with your life, get drunk, play Quidditch, get the girl and just be you. Give old Voldie a good kick from me too. One more thing, as of the day of this reading you are officially emancipated unless this is after you come of age then I have just made a fool of myself, all in a day's work I suppose. Also I hate to do this but, you are now the head of the Most noble and Awesome houses of Potter and Black. So, Lord Potter-Black, Messr Moony and Iccle Nymphy, see yaaa!"

The image disappeared to leave a sniggering goblin and three thoroughly annoyed people.

"Stupid mutt."

"How could he do this to me?"

"Iccle Nymphy."

* * *

He gathered his scattered belongings and stuffed them into his multi-compartment trunk he could have done it with magic, but if used too much now he could alert the Order and then he could never go through with his plan, it was beyond risky. It was downright dangerous.

He loved it, Padfoot wanted him to have fun, well let the fun begin.

Claws was about to spread his wings.

* * *

"Ron, come ON!! We have to get to the prefects meeting!" Hermione dragged him from the platform, where he was still holding out for Harry. He simply would not accept that he was gone. Whether it was Death Eaters or the pressure got to him, only he knew. The only people who knew he was missing were the Order and a few select Ministry employees like the new Minister Amelia Bones, but today everyone would know when he didn't turn up to Hogwarts.

Ron hung his head, he was sure his best mate was going to show up. He had stood up for him when the Order had said he was giving up and leaving them to destruction, he would not believe it. It had taken Hermione, Ginny and his mother to keep from going and looking for him himself the minute Tonks had reported in from her guard duty saying Harry wasn't there.

Hermione wanted to stay on the platform too, but she knew Harry too well to think that he'd turn up now and make a scene. He hated the spotlight. She knew Harry was fine, it couldn't be explained but she had a feeling that he would come back soon. She hoped anyway. He was too inherently good to abandon them, even if it meant death, he would be there when they needed him. He was a hero, what else is he going to do?

Ginny was depressed, when she heard Harry was gone it had been like a blow to the head, it had knocked he everyway except the right one. She could barley hold the storm raging in her mind and heart. Hurt, anger, sadness and hope, were battling for supremacy. This was supposed to be their year, all last year she had fallen for him all over again as he showed who he really was in the DA and the Ministry, A hero.

The prefect meeting barley held any meaning to them, simply sitting and staring off into space, answering when talked to, they could have been inferi for all the other prefects knew, except one.

Draco Malfoy observed the three of them from a corner. They looked from his perspective as if someone had killed their puppies and made puppets out of them. He himself was not much better, pale and drawn, he had undergone the most stringent training he could ever remember, having always been taught throughout the summer in past years, and they all paled in comparison to this one. While his father was in Azkaban being the weak and meagre servant he was his Aunt Bella trained him herself, and she like to demonstrate on him personally. The healers told him to stop like it was his choice, he supported the Dark Lord, but he didn't want to serve. He wanted to lead.

* * *

Neville and Luna sat down in their compartment and waited for the three, they knew Harry was not here. Neville's grandmother had told him when she got back from an Order meeting, while he was sadden at Harry being gone, he could understand, as the only one of them left standing with Harry at the Ministry he could see Harry was tearing apart inside, he himself had felt it whenever he visited his parents. Harry had it so much worse though, in Neville's opinion, To have you parents ripped from you when you were that age was brutal, but then find some semblance of them in Sirius only to have him ripped mercilessly from him was a pain that not many people could relate with.

Luna was on the outside her usual dreamy self, not care in the world, quibbler in hand and wand holding her hair up. On the inside she was just as dreamy, she could have told you that Harry was going to leave as soon as he left the station last term, it was beyond obvious to her, he was so broken that he could only get stronger and if he needed to get away from everyone, he should. He'd be back.

"Hey Neville, Luna." Ron greeted them as he stuffed a chocolate frog into his mouth. He looked like he had just ransacked the lunch trolley on the way here.

"Hey guys. How was your summer?" Neville asked.

"Well all things considered it was pretty good until we heard about Harry going missing. I went to Italy with my parents for a few weeks, it was amazing, the museums, the landmarks, oh I learnt so much about the ancient Romans, did you know they were the first………" Luna was the only one still listening by the end of her monologue about the innovation of the Romans.

"Is there any news on Harry?" Luna asked while she was taking a breath.

Ginny just looked mournful, Ron deflated instantly and Hermione just sighed. "No, sadly, the Order has been looking non-stop. No one knows where he could be, Sirius would know, but if he was here Harry wouldn't have run away like that."

"Stop saying it like he's abandoned us! He would never leave us. You say it like he's never coming back, he will come back!" Ginny pretty much shouted and stormed out of the compartment.

Hermione had the decency to look ashamed. "I was only saying, Harry has never been exactly level headed. Why would he run from us, the people who could help him the most?"

Neville just shook his head at her in disappointment. "You don't understand what he's going through Hermione, Sirius was the closest thing to a parent he ever had, a link to his own parents, none of us can imagine what it's like to have that taken away. Not even me. He needs to get through this himself."

Hermione looked disbelieving. "I've read about the grieving process though, he needs to share what he's feeling with the people he's closest to. And that's us." She said in her best bossy know it all voice. They all glared at her and ignored her for the rest of the ride.

* * *

A figure cloaked in dark blue hid in the shadows of Hogsmeade Station as the train rolled in.

He shouldn't be here; he had sworn he would not return until he was ready.

He needed to see his friends safe. They were all he had.

A Slytherin girl was staring straight at him, a weird smile on her face. She knew.

He smirked under his hood. He may have gained an ally.

He tapped his family ring and disappeared.

* * *

A beautiful snowy owl landed in front of her, she looked around confused. She didn't know this owl. The first Hogsmeade weekend started tomorrow, she was very wary of almost everyone except her closest friends and family. Death Eaters had tried to recruit her family in this war, even the disgusting ferret Malfoy had tried to 'acquire' her. He wouldn't be able to sit down for a few more weeks without pain.

She gave the owl some bacon and took the letter, written in a very neat script.

_Daphne,_

_You are now probably trying to find where the trap is, there's no trap, well at least not yet. Bad joke I know. I'd like to ask a favour, I am undoubtedly out of touch with what is going on at Hogwarts. I need a spy and not specifically in Slytherin, I'm not so closed minded that I believe that all Slytherins go to Death Camp. So I'd like to ask you to meet me in Hogsmeade, at the stile just past the end of town, an eagle will be waiting for you. You can trust me, I promise._

_Your resident hero (Very vain I know)_

* * *

A Golden Eagle swooped low over Hogsmeade, it was not unheard of as they were native here all year round so no one except the most avid bird watchers would notice the sweeping glance it gave the crowds of school children with its distinctive mischievous green eyes. It slowed and snatched a hat off a bushy haired girl. She cried in outrage and summoned it with her wand before smacking the red head that was in hysterics on the back of the head.

All this was observed by a raven haired girl a few paces behind them. Her suspicions had pretty much confirmed themselves; it was pretty strange behaviour for an eagle.

* * *

"I wasn't sure you'd come. It's pretty risky exposing myself like this, you should feel privileged, my friends don't even know if I'm alive." A voice from the shadow of the cave drawled.

"Yes I feel quite special; the Chosen One has chosen me to be his spy. How honoured I am." He walked into the light filtering from the entrance, and she gasped. Gone was the skinny little runt who so often made the headlines and here was the hunk of a hero everyone supposed he was. His hair stopped just past his ears, his fringe sweeping over from the left with hints of emerald green to match his eyes, hid face had gained a distinguished look of a Lord with an easy smile, his tight compact but ripped body shouted sexuality, the most surprising thing though were his eyes they shone with such an intensity and happiness that he could rival Dumbledore. "Wow." She breathed

"Like what you see." He teased giving her a twirl. "Well, anyway, enough gawking at my awesome good looks, lets negotiate, I need a spy, as I said in my letter. Would you be willing to be that spy? I know you have no love for the Death Eater recruits or anyone else for that matter. All I would need is regular updates on what is going on round school, and I don't mean gossip or any of that rubbish, real information, what Malfoy and his band of groupies is up to plus anything weird from the other houses, especially Gryffindor, its bad enough that there have been two traitors from there we don't want anymore."

"Umm…Yeah I suppose I could do that." She answered vaguely, still thoroughly checking him out, it was not often men came up to her standards, none of them were nearly this confident. "How will I contact you? We can't use letters, they could be intercepted, the Floo has been shut down except for teachers' offices, and I can't get away from school on a regular basis without notice."

He handed her a mirror, when she looked at him like he had just suggested the first planned expedition to Mars on space hoppers he explained. "Its enchanted, just say my name and I shall appear, in the mirror obviously, not where you are, that would lead to some interesting questions indeed." He said with a suggestive grin.

He was actually flirting with her. Her, the Ice Queen of Hogwarts, and she actually blushed! _Oh I'll never live this down._

"Not so Icy now are we." He chuckled. She threw her occlumency shields up without a second's hesitation; she would not let him see what she was thinking about, now that would be embarrassing.

"Are you coming back to Hogwarts this year? Or will you stay missing: possibly dead?" She said in her best Slytherin voice. She was letting him get to her, no one got to her, not even the ferret.

"I'll be back some time after Christmas, I have a few things to do, and also I want to make an entrance, it wouldn't be prudent for me just to turn up would it?" he said in a perfect imitation of Malfoy.

"You know if I didn't know any better I'd think you were turning into a right pompous prat. Coming here all lordly and all." She sneered at him. He was very up himself right now, issuing orders and the like.

"Well I guess I should introduce myself then." He cleared his throat and put on his 'looking down on people voice' on. "Lord Harry James Potter-Black at your service."

Again she just looked at him like she had just been confounded. "You have got to be kidding, that would make you one of the most powerful people in Britain, in Europe even. More than the Malfoy's." she finished with a very satisfied grin. "Can you disown them? Oh the hissy fit he would throw…."

"Already done, along with Bellatrix of course. They don't know it yet, I haven't sent the notification to Gringotts yet. I want to be there for that. How has the ferret been this year, throwing it about like normal?"

"Yes, if not more. There's been a rumour that Lestrange trained him during the summer, nowhere near top Death Eater range, but more than a normal lackey from what we've seen in Defence. By the way Snape is the new Defence teacher, Weasley and Granger are taking the brunt of the mocking but some of it is piled on Longbottom, he's improved too much to mock a lot though, Snape is quite frustrated with the fact. The other classes are pretty much the same, with the exception of Potions, the new girl is distracting shall we say, most of the boys haven't complete a single potion without blowing something up, she's a good teacher when you get past how good looking she is. Some of the girls may have a problem when you get back though."

He laughed at that, such a happy laugh that she wondered where the quiet, angry and depressed boy had gone to get a personality transplant.

"So, why all the dramatics? Not very often that the saviour disappeared of the face of the earth." She asked dryly.

"Well if the Wizarding world needs a saviour that often then it needs a major overhaul. I had to get my own head in order before I could rush out and save everyone, no matter how much I wanted to. I didn't run because I couldn't face it, I ran because I needed time, the pressure I'm under is beyond anything Dumbledore even knows. He's just the puppet master; I didn't want to be a puppet. I needed to find myself so that I could lead with the same confidence he does, but in a better way. I don't understand it myself, but there you go. I know it's a little selfish. And I especially don't want pity from anyone."

"You know your friends have restarted the club you had last year, it's pretty much open to anyone who wants to learn. I've been to a few meetings myself, not what it used to be I hear." Daphne told him. "They were pretty distraught at the start of the year; I think the young Weasley is especially devastated, you may have a big problem there when you get back. Not without lack of competition obviously. Granger has been preaching about how your all messes up of Blacks death and need your friends before you do something stupid. Older Weasley is as loyal as a Labrador; Longbottom pities Granger but is just as loyal. Lovegood isn't even reacting by the looks of it; she thinks you'll come back in your own time, supposed she's right again."

"Never doubt Luna." He laughed. "She will always catch you of guard if you let her. Hermione disappoints me, she used to us all depending on her I suppose, still I'll put her straight when I come back, and she didn't look amused when I stole her hat." He chuckled.

"So you are an Animagus, and an eagle, symbol of leadership and bravery, typical Gryffindor." She shook her head in mock disappointment. At this Harry started laughing heavily, rolling about on the floor. Daphne looked offended and amused at the same time. No one laughs at her. She threw a stone at him which he caught easily.

He gained his breath back and looked up at her with a mischievous smirk on his face that took he breath away slightly. "You haven't seen anything yet. I'll show at the next Hogsmeade weekend if I've mastered it. That is if you want to accompany the most powerful person in the country to this lovely cave again."

"That depends, will you be an arse then as well?" she snorted.

He looked mortally wounded by such a comment. "That hurts Daphs! Right here." He tapped his hand over his heart and brushed a fake tear away.

"Don't call me that! I swear I'll castrate you if you say it again." She threatened the cocky Boy-Who-Was-About-To-Die.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll try seeing as I hear that's quite painful. See ya Daphne Babe." He winked and disappeared with a tap of his house ring. She screamed in frustration and stormed from the cave to find Tracy and someone to take this out on. All in her path scattered like gazelle chased by a cheetah.

He would not get away with that.

* * *

Remus entered Potter Manor for the first time in almost seventeen years, only to be tackled to the ground by an over excited teenager, much like the first time he'd ever visited the Manor after his third year at Hogwarts.

"You know, your father used to do that every time I came over when we were in school. Never expected it once, guess things haven't changed there." He laughed from the floor.

"Traditions and all that, eh?" Harry laughed at him.

It was the night of the full moon and Harry had asked him to come by, said he had something to show him.

"It sure brings back a few memories being here again. One time Sirius was sliding down that banister and one of the elves banished him into the front door. You father tried to sneak into your mother's room when she was staying here, he got transfigured into a pig for it. Good times." He sighed. "Well come on, what's this you've got to show me? You sounded pretty vague when we spoke earlier."

"Moony, I'd like you to meet Claws."

Harry promptly turned into a large lion. Remus stood there absolutely flabbergasted. The beast was majestic. It stood proud and slightly amused if that's possible for a lion. Streaks of black slashed across its mane, its bright green eyes glinting in the firelight. He transformed back into the grinning teen he was and all suddenly became clear.

"You've got yourself some company tonight."

Engulfed in a hug Harry just laughed.

"Thank you Harry. You don't know how much this means to me." Remus said thickly.

"And that's why I did it, family look out for each other. Are you trying to break my ribs, Moony? C'mon lets grab some lunch before we head out. I'm sure some of the elves would be glad to see you after all these years. Although I think Lippy has gone a little crazy." Harry chuckled.

"Nah, she was always like that. She used to mother us all when your grandparents died. Took it under her belt to feed and water us all with a vengeance."

"Yeah, well her and Dobby have been butting heads, almost literally, I caught them arguing over who was going to wash my boxers the other week, quite disturbing if you think about it. Trust me it's not something you want to see first thing in the morning."

They got some snacks and after Remus got a telling of for something he may or may not have done almost twenty years ago, they left for a walk on the grounds before nightfall.

* * *

"Welcome everyone, let's get started shall we, we all have places to be no doubt." Dumbledore said wearily from behind his desk, looking the entire hundred plus years old he was. The search for Harry and turning the tide of the war was taking its toll on the old man, the twinkle was barely visible, and much of that was forced. "Reports, Remus, how goes it with the werewolves?"

"Some are willing to help us, enough that Greyback is slightly hacked off. I've gathered a pack of about ten so far, we're staying at one of the Black estates, its perfect for a pack of wolves, the place was a mess when we got there, not been lived in for centuries, but enough of the wards are still there that we won't be disturbed. Greyback as I said is not too happy with us, his pack is much larger, around twenty to thirty. If we can get enough of them neutral it would do much to quell the fear that Voldemort possesses, but even with half that number they can do irreparable damage." Remus finished, already expecting the questions to come.

"The Black estates? Wouldn't you need Harry to enter them?" Dumbledore asked hopefully and slightly desperately, but not without suspicion. He knew Harry and Remus were close just as close as Harry and Sirius were.

"No, I'm afraid not Albus, as Sirius split his estate equally between us the title of Lord Black is also split, Harry got it added to his name because of Sirius rather weird sense of humour." He said with a sad smile.

"It has been known to happen, but only when the will is disputed. I can see why Sirius would split it, Harry would not have been happy to have all of Sirius' vast fortune. Any sign of him when you arrived at the Estate? I think we may be onto something here." Dumbledore had a ghost of his twinkle back now at least.

"No sign at all, if he was there, he cleaned up after himself. What are you thinking Albus?" Remus didn't show the worry he felt. If Harry was found now it would be disastrous, he didn't want to be found yet, he said he wasn't ready, he'd never forgive Remus if he dot found out now, from a tip he gave.

"First I want you to check the remaining Black properties, and also some of the Potter properties, the ones you still have access to. Set up a watch on Godrics Hollow too, I think Harry may stop there sometime over Christmas." He said thoughtfully, he had no idea how much Harry had been there already. "That will be your mission when you are not preoccupied with the werewolves."

Remus nodded and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. _That was way too close for my liking_, he thought.

"Kingsley, what's going on in the ministry?" Dumbledore asked the tall black Auror.

"As I've been saying since the summer Albus, Auror numbers are on the rise, we're almost double what we were, still hopelessly outnumbered by Death Eaters but we're getting better trained, since Alastair has returned. The minister is definitely on our side, she can't officially join because of obvious reasons." He sighed and looked over at Arthur and Molly, this was the worst part of the report. "We have suspicions that the Minister is being surrounded by Death Eaters or people under the Imperious, unfortunately this means that she's venerable. Her most senior assistant, Percy Weasley, we hope is under the Imperious, if not then he's turned. I'm sorry Arthur, Molly. We're investigating as thorough as possible without alerting them to us." He finished with a sad shake of his head and sat back in his seat.

"Thank you, Kingsley. Please bear with me while I call Severus." He moved over to the fireplace and disappeared for five minutes before moving back to his desk. Snape swooped through the fireplace, he didn't know how completely ridiculous he looked while he did that. He shared a curt nod with the rest of the room and sat down near the front of the room. "Well Severus, what has Voldemort been up to?"

"He's trying to find something, he will tell no one, he leaves regularly from what Bellatrix is willing to say, which is not much. I believe he is also planning attacks again, and he wants to take Hogsmeade completely. Diagon Alley and the Ministry will also be attacked. If Hogsmeade is taken, he will use it as a stepping stone to conquer Hogwarts eventually." Snape finished, looking grim.

"What of his own search for Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape smirked at this. "He's been rather frustrated; he's been sweeping any towns he thinks Potter may be, quite useless obviously, he says his attempts to enter Potters mind have been thwarted still. Wherever Potter is, it either has very advanced wards, or he has finally mastered occlumency, took him long enough."

"Thank you, Severus, that's quite enough. Now, I have a feeling that we will be seeing Harry very soon. When he does appear, we must not let him escape again, he is too important to lose in this war." Dumbledore nearly shouted at the assembled Order members.

"Albus we can't force him into fighting this war for us, he will not take lightly to be treated like a weapon or a child. You will lose him again." Remus warned. It wasn't necessarily his speech but who was going to know.

"You do not know his importance Remus. He will do what we think is best for him or we will keep him out of it all together."

"Then you have lost him already." Remus said dramatically and left the office with a smug smile tugging at his mouth.

* * *

There you have it, hope you liked it. Review, I really do like hearing from you all, I'll try to answer as many reviews as possible, I pomise.

I'm going for a weeky update system here, I may not be able to update as often as I like, mainly because of college, but worry not, chapter three is almost finished so that will be up next week


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello and yes I know I'm late, but seriously what are you going to do about it.**

**I own nothing, you should know this by now.**

**Anyway, I am very sorry its late, college is evil, plus I bought a new game this week, what do you expect.**

**Can you believe that someone actually called me out for not being original in this story, nowhere have I said that this story is original, half the things in here have been done more times than the word 'A'. And thats a lot people.  
**

**Here you go, enjoy............  
****

* * *

It Starts Chapter Three – The Return of Lord Potter-Black**

"What've we got first?" Ron said after swallowing. Hermione had managed to drill some manners into him this year since he didn't have Harry to distract her from him. He was even thinking about asking her out to the next Hogsmeade weekend, they had pretty much gone with each other the last one. He smirked at the thought of the eagle nicking her hat; he had teased her about that for weeks before she would laugh about it. He brought his thoughts back to present as she looked up from the newspaper she was reading.

"We've been here for six months and you still don't know our timetable? It's a wonder how you even remember to tie your shoes in the morning." She laughed as she remembered having to tell him to do the very same thing a few months ago. "We've got Potions, shall we see if you can stir in a circle today or will it be a straight line like the rest of the male population." She grimaced at the thought of the beautiful Potions professor. The amount of explosions had all but tripled this year.

Not receiving an answer from Ron she looked over to find him staring dreamy eyed at his bacon and eggs. She wasn't sure whether it was because of the food or Professor Young, maybe it was a tie.

Hermione was pissed off with the new professor, it wasn't a secret, even among the professors, and she resented her because she was so good that no one needed her help anymore and because she stole Ron's attention. They had been close for the first few weeks of term, the loss of Harry brought them together, each using the strength and hope of the other to get by, but as soon as he looked away long enough to be dazzled by Professor Young it was gone, he was over it. With a sigh she got up and left for Potions.

The day went as expected.

Potions was a disaster for the boys, while most of the girls glared spitefully at the beautiful blonde at the front, some of the girls were even glassy eyed like the boys, quite wrong to be perfectly honest. Making a Splinching Potions was supposed to be simple for NEWT level, but alas this year it was nearly impossible to do without half the class making it explode and find themselves with less than the correct amount of body parts and sometimes more. A traumatic experience if there ever was one.

Transfiguration went as expected, Hermione ruled, everyone else…well they didn't drool, except Crabbe and Goyle, who had somehow got back into this class. She as usual got everything first, mainly because she read it all in the summer, it wasn't an obsession, it really wasn't. Ron was getting surprisingly good, he and Harry couldn't team up and slack off now, and his grades were gradually improving, nothing compared to Hermione obviously, but better than before.

They met up with Neville as they entered the DADA class, he actually enjoyed this class dispite the teacher, and Snape knew his stuff. As he was thinking this the door slammed open.

"In."

They filed into the once bright classroom, now it was dark and dank filled with gruesome pictures of victims of even more gruesome curses.

"Today we will be looking further at silent casting, we touched upon it at the start of the year not all were as successful as I'd hoped." He glanced sideways at Ron, a smirk almost touching his face. "Now we'll be looking more in depth at how it works. So try and cast some simple spells for half an hour, by the end of the week I expect to see at least some progress. When the half an hour is up we will discuss what it is that makes silent casting work. Begin!"

Ron, Hermione and Neville teamed up like always. Neville had improved beyond the belief of Snape, he didn't think it possible for Neville to be _good_ at something never mind excel further than Hermione. They started with a simple Disarming Charm, very simple for a sixth year, Hermione had obviously done it before the first lesson so she tried to help them, by help she just recited the textbook to them.

"Hermione! We can read just fine, you don't need to read it to us, I don't understand how to do it, not from that piece of trash." Ron growled while pointing at the small piece of hell on the desk.

"Well, Professor Snape thinks it appropriate for us, it's perfectly understandable, and you simply have to have the intent to do the spell while thinking the incantation." Hermione huffed in frustration; they had been questioning her all year, always thinking they knew better, how could they know better? She was the one who read all the course material and finished all the assigned work on time. They should feel honoured to have her help.

"Well, if _Professor Snape_ says so then I guess that's all of us put out place good an proper then, I always wondered what Snape was standing at the front of the class for, turns out he was teaching us, I thought he was the entertainment until the proper teacher had shown up, thought he'd bring some flaming torches to juggle, or do some cartwheels while we waited, but now it appears he was teaching us, where on earth did I miss the notice?" Ron acted, he was sick of Hermione being such a bossy little bitch all year long, she never let up, he was seriously reconsidering asking her out if she was going to nag all the time.

Neville chuckled at his little speech and caught the attention of Snape; over to them he swooped to get his daily fix of ridicule. "Weasley, stop fooling around and get on with it, acting the clown may cover your incompetence in other aspects of you less than mediocre life but it will not here. Now give me demonstration, Longbottom you as well."

Neville and Ron squared off against each other; both of them were the top duellists in the DA, but Neville was the only one of the two to get a hang on silent casting. _I can do this, _Ron thought,_ just to show Snape what for. Expelliarmus!_

Neville wasn't expecting the power behind the spell and found himself lying on the floor at Snape's feet. Not a good place to be at any point in life. Neville rose to his feet and dropped into a duelling stance and sent a silent Tickling Curse and him. He wouldn't calm down for a while anyway.

"Well, it seems you've improved Weasley, it had to happen sometime I suppose." Snape sneered and stalked off.

"See, I told you it was simple." Hermione smiled at them. They glared back and she grimaced.

* * *

His red cloak swirling about him in the December wind, he entered the multicoloured shop, inside was quiet, a few customers milling about in the lull of traffic, this place was busy this holiday season. Walking over to the two redheads in purple uniforms, he noticed their better quality of clothing, their haircuts, the expensive watches, and dragon hide boots. The money was treating them well.

"Greetings, noble gentlemen, how goes this yuletide business?" He greeted them, in an overdramatic fashion, it would get their attention.

"Tis a grand time for pranksters and prankees alike indeed good sir." One of the twins answered, George, maybe, could be, who knows!

"How may we help you this fine morn?" The other asked.

"Well, I think…I have been rather lax with business matters of late, it's time for a business meeting my friends, shall we?" Harry gestured to the back room. Identical smirks graced the angelically innocent faces. They led the way through to the restricted section of WWW, only the best customers came through here.

"Well, it seems you have recovered Fred, didn't hurt anyone did you?" Harry laughed at his sheepish look; the _Daily Prophet _had done a small article on the three people that got stunned that day. "Anyway, as you can see, I'm back, but I can't just walk into Hogwarts like nothing ever happened, it needs to be flashy, and you know all about flashy don't you, I have a few things that need to be included, but I'm open to suggestions. Fireworks and music, you know the works." He grinned and the excited look in their eyes.

"Harry, my friend you…"

"…have come to the right people." They said wisely.

* * *

Harry walked up the ice covered street in a sombre mood, this was fifth time he'd been here since the summer, it had become a sort of ritual to him, almost every month he'd come here. He visited their graves, tended the flowers when there were some, he talked to them sometimes, but after the first few times he's had nothing to tell. This would be the second time he'd actually visited the house, once on Halloween and now, Christmas Eve, he wasn't celebrating this year, not really, he'd have a drink with Remus and Tonks, but he didn't want to disturb their first Christmas together.

He stopped outside the wreckage of his life and crumpled, last time he kept his mental shields up so that he could look through the house for something to connect them, a picture here, a stuffed toy there most of the stuff had been cleared by someone, probably in the vault. This time he let it all out, everything he had his from everyone else, the bravado he put up when he was round other people, some of it was real, but at times like this, he could feel no happiness, it was like he had his own personal Dementor, sucking the happiness that he had felt these last few months, all he could feel was the utter absolute devastation that was that night.

"Harry!" someone called from the distance.

He jerked back to reality to sight of two people running towards him from the centre of town. He took one last look at the wreckage, and disappeared in a swirl of snow.

* * *

Remus and Arthur were walking through Godrics Hollow on Christmas Eve. Remus could think of better places to be, they would not catch Harry even if they saw him, he wanted to spend time with Nym tonight, they're first Christmas together.

Arthur was freezing his feet off in this weather, he thought it unlikely that Harry would be here tonight, it was simply too cold to stand about, but he'd be here for him if he was, that boy was like a son to him, he was a son to him.

They walked past the centre of town and saw the war memorial as it changed into the statue of an ill forsaken family. Remus turned away from the stark reminder of the past. Arthur looked at the bundle in the woman's arms and wondered why anyone would want to kill such an innocent thing; it was simply a monstrous thing to do. The pub suddenly burst into song as the clock struck midnight, a mockery of the pain that was tearing through the two men. They walked toward the edge of town to end their shift.

As they came round the last corner they caught the sound of sobbing, deep gut wrenching sobbing coming from slumped young man outside the wreck of a building.

"Harry!" Arthur called as he began to run, ice or no ice. Remus quick on his heels, he had expected Harry to be here, but seeing him here in this state was startling, it was what he felt like doing if he was honest with himself.

The slumped form got up and looked at them, such deep sorrow in his eyes they almost stopped running, and then he disappeared with a tap of his house ring.

"No! Wait!" Arthur called when it was too late. "Why would he run again?"

"I don't know." Remus answered truthfully, maybe it was because Arthur was here or maybe he didn't want Remus to see him like that. He didn't know. "We should report this to Albus, at least we can say he's alright, and I have a suspicion of where he is now, come." They apparated to the Burrow and flooed directly to the Headmasters office to give the news.

"Remus! Arthur! What is it? Did you find him?" Albus asked quickly.

"No, but we saw him, only for a few second though, he looks in good health. He was outside the cottage, as soon as he saw us he disappeared, portkey I think, it was his ring Albus, you know what that means, he's at Potter Manor, next to Hogwarts that's the safest place in the country. He's safe at least." Remus finished with a relieved smile.

Albus smiled as well, he may not want Harry away from Hogwarts but at least he was somewhere well protected. "Then we will leave him be for now, he's likely feeling pressured if he has run there, he will be back in his own time I expect."

"Albus, I think we should tread lightly when he does get back, if he feels trapped he may run again. I don't think that these months have been spent idle like we thought he's changed a lot, from what I can see, he has power, and you can see it even when he was in the state he was when we saw him." Arthur warned him, it was plainly obvious, but when he thought back to see him in that moment, he radiated power.

"Yes I am beginning to see that he has grown up a rather lot these past six months, I will be careful." The clear dismissal in his tone prompted them to leave quickly, Arthur back to the Burrow, and Remus to Nym's flat.

* * *

The Great Hall was alive with the noise of the Welcoming Feast of the second term of school, the lower years swapping stories of gifts or jokes from the Christmas holidays, the higher years talking about the sighting of Harry Potter in Godrics Hollow, the gossip network quickly came up with a story of him visiting his secret lovechild or defending his parents house from a band of Death Eaters.

Albus Dumbledore watched all his students with amusement, they had not been this excited since the ousting of Umbridge, quite an achievement. The sighting had given a little spark of hope to Wizarding world, Amelia looked almost as relieved as he felt, and she released it to the press almost immediately, anything to bolster hope in the waning defiance of the Wizarding public. Now all they had to do was wait, if Harry chose to arrive at Hogwarts it would not be a very dramatic arrival.

How very wrong he was.

* * *

A black and silver streak roared through Hogsmeade in a blur, curtains twitched and drunkards awoke from benches before falling off them and grumbling about dragons. The streak kept going, past the other edges of the village, and on to the school not half a mile away. The figure riding atop the silver machine pushed a button in front of him, a grin spreading across his face.

The gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry loomed ahead, he simply inclined his head and the gates flew open, he sped up the path with a fury one can only find in a motorcycle, the wind ripped through his hair as he skidded to a stop at the front steps, he took a step back from his vehicle to admire his handiwork. The now silver tank contained two paintings, one of a shaggy black dog and the other a proud stag. Pushing the big red button that no one should ever press unless announcing ones arrival exactly like this, red and gold fireworks filled the dark sky as the people inside screamed when a hundred foot lion appears in the sky. Harry sat back down on his bike to enjoy the show.

He heard the doors behind him open slowly, not noticed next to the magnificent fire show. The lion was now chasing a wolf across the stars above Hogwarts, reminding Harry of the last time he went out with Remus. The scene changed into one with a werewolf, dog and stag running together. The marauders were together again.

As the last firework blew itself out, people noticed the shadowy figure, sitting on some muggle machine, all the muggleborns and some of the half-bloods knew what it was. Most of them had now drawn their wands, a fact Harry was rather proud of.

"Show yourself, stranger." Dumbledore called out from the front of the group with the rest of the teachers.

"Aw, I'm not that much of a stranger Albus, in fact you know me pretty well." Harry called out; no one would recognize him now.

"Well if we are such friends, turn and greet me." Dumbledore countered.

"What?! And ruin the dramatic effect; I wouldn't do such a thing. Popcorn anyone?"

Harry waved his hand and hundreds of buckets of popcorn appeared. Pressing another button he sent of another batch of fireworks, this one of his first Quidditch match.

"Now that's just impressive, those Weasley Twins out do themselves every time." Harry said over his shoulder showing his face a little.

"Yes, they are quite the geniuses when it comes to entertainment, but now I'd rather know who you are." Dumbledore said, a little more warning in his voice.

"I'm disappointed, I thought someone would guessed by now, you'd think people would recognize they're saviour." Harry stood up, turned around. "Hey." He said grinning from ear to ear.

"Harry?" Ron said from the far side of the crowd. "Harry!" He ran out and hugged his best friend. Neville, Ginny, Hermione and Luna came out only seconds later. The six of them embraced and tuned out the rest of the crowd, oblivious to the muttering going round.

Daphne remained cold, and aloof, inside she was jumping for joy, the man she was quickly falling for was here where she could have him.

"Mr Potter, follow me if you please." It was a command not a question.

"Of course Professor." Harry separated from his friends and walked through the partition in the crowd, getting pats on the back and welcome backs from some other friends, he winked at Daphne, who almost smiled, it was an 'I love you' if you got an almost smile from her. He threw her keys. "Take care of the bike Daphs." She scowled at that, he just laughed and walked on.

* * *

"Now, you have to admit Headmaster that was an entrance. How often does the saviour of the world come into school on a motorcycle with fireworks trailing behind?" Harry laughed as he sat down in front of the desk.

"Yes Harry, quite an entrance, not what I expected at all." Dumbledore looked at the boy…young man in front of him. He was as Arthur said different, he didn't fold in on himself like he used to, it would be difficult to control him like he used to, but he had to try for the good of the Wizarding world. "Now, I know where you've been, and your ring just proves it, I distinctly remember disputing that part of your parents will – "

"Something you have no right doing seeing as you is not a blood relative or an appointed guardian. No right at all. I tell you now, Dumbledore, I will not be your weapon, it's time you realise that I'm not your pawn to move thither and hither as you see fit, I am willing to work with you, but I will not follow blindly like some of the Order, you must understand that people are not yours to do as you will. They have thoughts, emotions, free will of their own, try to bend that will and most would follow when you spout you for the greater good nonsense, but not the people who see you for what you really are, a puppet master, pulling the strings when something does not fit into you master plan, I know you contested my parents will, I was to the one who told Griphook to deny it, if you ever go against something my parents wanted for me there will be more severe consequences than a failed appeal." His voice had been rising throughout his speech and he was now shouting in the Headmasters face.

To be fair Dumbledore was terrified, Harry's entire body was glowing with power, and he could now see clearly what Arthur was talking about. A power like this should not be set free on the wrong people, namely him.

"I understand Harry, I will not attempt to control you again, and I would be honoured if you would allow me to work with you in this war." Dumbledore didn't know where the words were coming from, but he hoped to Merlin they were true.

"No, the honour is all mine, I just wished to get my point across. It would be a waste for us not to work with each other. Is that all Headmaster, I have a few people I would like to speak with." He didn't say who, that would be telling.

"Yes, I have to inquire as to what classes you wish to take for the rest of the year."

"Transfiguration, Charms and Defence. My potions are as good as I want them, plus I hear the new potions Professor is quite a distraction." Harry finished with a chuckle, at some of the letter Daphne sent him when he felt a brush at his mental shields. "Please don't betray the very shaky trust we have by trying to get in my head. I don't appreciate it at all."

"My apologies, old dogs and new tricks and all that, I can arrange those classes, easily, I'm afraid Quidditch has already started so you cannot join the team."

"No matter, I prefer to fly than play anyway. If that is all…" Harry questioned.

"Certainly, you are eager to see you friends I'm sure." Harry started to walk out. "Oh and Harry, welcome back."

Harry grinned. "Good to be back sir, Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Harry walked into the Slytherin common room like he owned it, which he almost did he supposed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Potter? How did you get in here?" Malfoy sneered from the front of the Death Recruits surging towards him.

"Oh, I'm just standing here, waiting, as to how I got in here…Magic." Harry smirked at their enraged faces.

"You're in enemy territory here Potter, better not get snarky." Nott snapped from next to Malfoy.

"Really, where's Voldemort? Haven't had chats in such a long time." Harry looked around with interest.

"Potter! Get out of here now!" A feminine hand grabbed his arm a dragged him from the common room grinning like an idiot.

"How's it, Daphs? Didn't scratch it did you, that's a custom paint job; it cost a lot of money." Harry started to panic as she looked guilty.

"Relax fly-boy, you paint jobs fine, whatever that is. I can't believe I'm going to say this, I think I actually missed you." Daphne ground out, through much reluctance.

"Wow, I almost get a smile earlier, and now I get an 'I missed you', aren't going to propose are you?" Hand at his chest Harry fell back against the wall. "I may die."

"Shut up you idiot, if people here you stay stuff like that they might actually think I'm nice, can't have that." She snorted; the Ice Queen had been slowly melting thanks to this great prat in front of her.

"Ok, you know, you better start wearing waterproof charms, your thawing out, Your Majesty. I better go before they get even more suspicious; I'm supposed to be the golden boy, remember. Bye Daphs." He pecked he lips as he left, leaving her glaring after him.

* * *

Gryffindor common room was suspiciously quiet.

"Harry!" a shrill scream came, along with a bolt of red and brown. Harry didn't mind in the least that there were two attractive girls latched onto him.

"Wow, a threesome, let's take this somewhere else shall we girls." They quickly retracted their death claws and blushed for the entire world to see. Harry smirked at their naivety, and walked over to Ron and Neville in the corner, with a girl on each arm.

"Oi, Potter, You've been here five minutes and you already got your mitts on my sister, watch it." Ron laughed from his armchair. The three of them sat down, and all except Harry threw Hermione a waning look.

He shrugged and said "Go on, just ask."

This set off the torrent of words that no being on the planet could decipher. "One at a bloody time!"

"Language!" Hermione snapped.

"English." Harry said.

"What?"

"Exactly."

"Oh."

"Let's go alphabetical. Ginny, questions, I know you have some.

"Where did you go?"

"Can't say, next.

"Why did you go?"

"To get my head around everything, if you had just been told you're the 'Chosen One' you'd be a little screwed up too, and to train obviously."

"What did you learn?" Hermione spewed out as soon as he finished.

He grinned. "Magic…and stuff. Maybe I'll teach you a few things." He winked at her, which caused Ron to glare at him and Ginny to glare at her, interesting.

"Anything else? No well then I'm off to bed assum –"

"No, you have to stay here and talk through your issues with us. The people that are closest to you. It's part of the grieving process." Hermione spat out from her alarmingly textbook shaped head, at least he thought it was.

"And where pre-tell did you find that out. A book, surprise surprise, encase you hadn't noticed Hermione it's been almost seven months since Sirius died, I've grieved believe me, more that you could ever grieve. Now, I'm going to bed." He tried to walk away but found that he was being held by a small hand under his arm.

"NO! You have to do this, it said so in the textbook I read, now sit." She tried to shove him back to his seat, but he wouldn't budge, he slowly turned around faced her, his face more angry than she had ever seen it, she took a few steps back.

"You think you're so wise, so smart, so…right all the time. You will never learn, not everything you read is correct, you can't read on how to mourn someone, to get over their death and move on, it's not some categorical process that can be explained through a measured means. Its madness, depression, guilt, happiness and agony all rolled into one massive bullet that's shot straight into you skull for days on end until you just accept it for what it is. You have not idea how to do anything that doesn't involve a textbook, when you have lost someone close to you, come find me and tell me how it feels to only have to do it once." With that he stormed up to the boys dorms and changed for bed.

Downstairs they were still reeling from what they had heard and seen. All of them had seen his body shaking with rage and glowing with a power so awesome it was no wonder that Voldemort had become wary of him, but only Hermione had seen the hurt and disappointment in his eyes. She very efficiently burst into tears. The others all being shaken from their reveries looked over at her with varying degrees of shock, anger and more disappointment. They had been trying to dissuade her from doing this ever since Harry had left with Dumbledore, but she would not take heed of their warnings, she thought that Harry was the same susceptible little git he always was and he would listen to her without thought. How wrong she now knew she had been.

"I can't believe you did that Hermione. We told you this would happen, your turning into one of the people who want to control him, like Dumbledore and the Order, he ran away from people like that for a reason, all they want from him is to have him do his duty and throw him with the rest of us, they don't care that he is a human too, that he can be hurt from this war just like everyone else. He comes back to us now, and you try to control him not ten minutes after he steps through the door, I won't be surprised if he's not speaking to you now, it's what I would do." Neville quickly stalked toward the stairs, Ron left a minute later with one scathing look at while she sobbed to herself.

Ginny just looked on her with pity. "I would say 'I told you so', but I have it on good information that that's cheesy. So I'll leave you with a bit of long overdue advice, I've seen you change this year, I can see how you like to see how far you can go with controlling Ron, you may not do it consciously but you do, getting him to learn manners, while for the safety of anyone who eats near him, they change who he is as well, small things you know. If you try that with Harry, I think you might get more and less of what you have now. More people disliking you and fewer friends." She got up and left for bed, leaving a distraught Hermione to bawl her eyes out to an empty common room.

She didn't understand where she had gone wrong, she thought she was helping Ron, making more that what he was then, he always went on about how he wished he had more, and that's what she did, she gave him manners, helped his grades, made sure he dressed right and kept him on track. A sudden realization hit Hermione in that second, she was a monster, a crazy little bitch.

She was turning Ron into what she wanted him to be. Clean, polite, smart and handsome. A monster.

She sat there for hours, thinking over what she had done this year, and it disgusted her further, she would change, make amends. First stop, Harry.

As if he was on a cue, Harry came from the stairs to the boys dorms, dressed in a Muggle tracksuit and trainers.

He looked over when she got up.

"Granger." He said and left the common room for his morning run.

She collapsed where she was and cried some more for he almost broken friendship.

* * *

For Harry, that night was a restless one, full of dreams of dark figures and as clown for some reason. He shook the thoughts away as he walked down the stairs to the common room. He could already sense someone was there, one of the many advantages of being attuned to magic; this place was too full of magic to be more specific though. He noticed a slumped form in a dark corner, he was about to go over when he noticed it was Hermione. His anger woke up on the inside; on the outside he was as impassive as stone. A very good looking human shaped stone though.

She got up and was about to walk over to him, she still had the cheek to try and talk to him, even if it was to apologize, he was still too angry to listen.

"Granger." He almost sneered, and walked out of the room.

His run that morning was a long one, too wake him up, the amount of sleep he had last night was not nearly enough for him, he already missed the bed at Potter Manor, all fluffy and huge…

Back to reality with a trip, he noticed Hagrid tending his vegetable patch and Fang lying by the door to the hut. Just to think about something else, he ran over to say hello.

"Morning Hagrid!" He called, only now realizing how excited he was to see his big friend.

"Ahhh! Harry!" Hagrid stomped with surprising speed over to Harry and may have broken his spine. "So good teh have yer back Harry, no' bin' th' same withou' yeh. Ad' some of us righ' worried you did. So, come on, Ow' was yer time away?"

Harry told him a very loose version events, countries he'd visited, people he'd met and most of all what he'd learned. He can't give everything away.

"Its good teh have yeh back Harry." Hagrid hugged him a little less vigorously this time, Harry hugged half of him back, he could use longer arms, like three feet longer.

"And I'm glad to be here Hagrid, better get up to breakfast; they'll think I've gone AWOL again. Bye Hagrid." He left before Hagrid could ask what AWOL was.

Harry ran all the way back to the dorm to change, a few people just openly stared at him in all his exercising glory others just shrugged and thought he looked awesome. Which he naturally did.

Entering the Great Hall was a little disconcerting. As soon as he passed the doorway, silence, you could have played tennis naked with a mouse as the ball and no one would notice. They were all staring at him.

"Hey." He said brightly, this was weird. Was he not wearing trousers? He looked down. Trousers check. "OK, you're freaking me out now, stop it. I will do something not very unflattering to all of you if you don't stop." Many looked away, but alas, some people don't know what's good for them. He waved his wand, and all of a sudden almost everyone who was still staring was stripped sown to their underwear. "To be fair, I did warn you." He shouted over the many squeals of embarrassment. The people still in clothes were laughing riotously at them, these people were clever people, he noticed Ginny among the people who were half naked, quite impressed he walked past he and patted her bum, this brought another squeal, he really didn't want to know if it was for pleasure, pain, or outrage.

Most of the hall now realized that they were in fact standing in front of all their friends, classmates and more importantly, Professors half naked and surged for the door. In the maelstrom that followed Harry noticed a number of people weren't wearing underwear at all, that probably wasn't a good idea. Looking across the hall, he saw Daphne giggling madly to herself as her two best friends ran from the room. She looked up and stopped instantly, he raised an eyebrow at her, Ice Queen, eh? He took a stroll.

"You know, I'm kind of disappointed you looked away. It would certainly make Malfoy smile, has he been that miserable all year? I know you said he was different but would it kill him to smile." He asked as he looked at the ferret in question, sitting at the other end of the table with his groupies. "He hasn't even tried to gloat in the five minutes I've been in the hall. I wonder if he's sick." He looked back at Daphne to see her looking at him weird. "Now stop that. I can make you naked too."

"You wouldn't dare. I was just wondering why you are sitting at this table. Everyone from your friends to Snape is trying to kill you with their minds. Lucky they don't know how or would lose their job, or you would be putty on the floor." She snorted, that was true amusement when the mask was on apparently.

"Oh, well I saw you here all on your lonesome, thought you could use some company that wasn't porridge. So, Daphs, I can call you Daphs in public can't I? Why is the ferret so miserable?"

She scowled at him. "He's been like this since just before the holidays. With Pansy drooling all over him there's no wonder though. The Dark Lord is apparently spending his holiday time with the Malfoy's; there I can't blame him for being a miserable git. Almost reminds me of you before you lost your mind."

He laughed at that, true as it was. "Suppose I wasn't always the most sociable of people. Now I am though so everything going to be fine-ish." Looking back over to his friends he saw they were indeed firing nukes at his head, except Neville. _Good old Neville, _he thought. The first few people started to trickle back in. "See ya Daphs." She scowled playfully and let him leave with that.

The rest of the students, now suitably dressed, glared hatefully at him; he just smirked at them, with repeated sayings of 'I did warn you'. He sat down next to Neville just as Ginny sat down opposite.

"What were you doing with that snake?" Ron demanded. Harry sighed already expecting it but hoping it wouldn't happen.

"Talking." He answered easily. He really didn't want to fall out over this. Especially after what Hermione did last night.

"She's a Slytherin though." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ron, it's exactly that type of close mindedness that starts these wars, you doing exactly what they are doing; Discriminating against them because they have something different, do something different, and don't like the same things or just look different. Its fear of the unknown that stops us from moving forward as a society and making it a better world." He explained calmly to Ron, Neville looked like he'd been trying to explain this to Ron already. Hermione kept her head down and finished her food. Ginny was looking at him with adoration though. _Damn it!_

Ron didn't see what Harry was talking about, so he kept trying to get him stop talking to Daphne. "Yeah I get that, but she's a Slytherin, she's bound to be a Death Eater, they all are. Don't you see she's just going to turn on you when the moments right? It's what they do." He finished strongly.

_Close minded idiot._ "Ron you can't just tar them with the same brush as Malfoy, they are not all alike. Remember Pettigrew, he was from Gryffindor and he was a Death Eater. You don't understand." He sighed at his best friend, how had he not noticed this before. "What you got first?" He asked them all.

It turned out he didn't have one of their classes. He didn't have anything till after break.

So he found himself by the lake, playing with his snitch, he was stressed out from his arguments with both of his best friends. Hermione had gone crazy with power, and Ron had retreated back into his belief of everything that was a Slytherin was something to do with Voldemort. On the other hand he had got along great with Neville; he'd never had much to do with his quiet dorm mate, having always been rather anti-social before. Neville had changed a lot this year, he had grown much more confident, and from Daphne he'd heard Neville was by far one of the best at DADA in the school. Harry would reclaim that title quickly, but he liked Neville, he was a good friend and ally.

Before he could get any further in his reflections a small hand grabbed his, just as he was about to snatch the snitch, he looked up to find Ginny smiling down at him.

"Do you mind? I kind of need to catch that." She let go with a sad look and sat down next to him as grabbed the snitch and put it in his pocket. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Free periods rule." She smiled at him.

"Ah, the illustrious free period, you'll regret it if you don't study now, it'll be a killer in a few months." He said absently. She giggled, touched arm and told him she could cope. _I better get out of here._ "I better get to class; don't want to be late on my first day."

Harry quickly fled the scene to find his friends, they had transfiguration after break, he didn't need any help with it; he just wanted to know if it was worth going or not. Turns out it was.

"Good morning class, I hope you have finished your homework, I'll take it in at the end. Now, today we will be studying the animagus transformation more in depth, it is a very difficult to complete the transformation, it takes large amounts of will and power. First, you must understand your animal; I gather that a few of you are going to pursue your transformations, those of you who discovered your talent at the star of the year and are going to undergo the process, I expect to see a basic anatomical understanding in your animal, if you do not know how each part of its body works then you will fail when it comes to the transformation. Once you know how the body works you must find the state of mind, while in you trances you spent a small amount of time as your animal, which would be the best starting place, meditate on that feeling, it will guide you. Has anyone made any progress since we last talked of animagi?" McGonagall asked, already looking towards Hermione. Harry and Ron shared an amused grin; Hermione's hand may have exceeded light speed this time.

As it turns out, there were six animagi in this class alone, there had only been four in last thirty years, if you didn't include Harry. Ron was a Labrador ironically, Hermione was a Fox, and Neville was some sort of Bear. The others were a Canary, a Cat, and Parrot. As McGonagall, had finished helping everyone else she came over to Harry, who was just sitting there watching everyone else.

"Mr Potter, would you like to take the Animagus Revealus potion? I assure you it will not take long to make; also it is a remarkable skill to have." She queried.

"Umm…yeah, that could be a problem, well you see, it's like this…" Harry starter to explain, then turned into his eagle form, bringing most of the class to a standstill, they stared at him with open shock and awe. He turned back and looked over at a dazed McGonagall. "I took the…accelerated course you could say." He smirked. She shook her head with a knowing smile.

"Very impressive Mr Potter, have you registered this form yet?"

"Oohhh…you see professor, if I registered this form, well, people would kind of know about it. I don't like the sound of that you see." Harry told the now furiously scowling professor.

"That is illegal, you and I will go to the ministry in the-" A bright flash overtook the class and everyone's eyes glazed for a second.

"No thank you, professor, I think I'll leave the potion for now."

She looked around for a few seconds, looked back at Harry confusedly and blinked. "Very well Mr Potter, I would have been interested in seeing what your form was. Well, never mind then." She bustled off to help the canary person still looking thoroughly confused.

Hermione was glaring at Harry, while Ron looked just as confused as McGonagall; Neville on the other hand had a sly smile on his face. Harry rolled his eyes at Hermione. 'Later' he mouthed at them all. Hermione continued to glare, Ron shrugged, and Neville nodded. He was beginning to really like Neville.

"How could you? Memory charming an entire class AND a professor, plus, why didn't you tell us you were an animagus?" Hermione hissed at him as to lunch.

"Memory charms are easy, that's how." She raised her hand to hit his head, he batted it away easily. "Look, everything that Voldemort doesn't know about me is an advantage, if that mean wiping a few minutes of memory so be it, and what do you mean why didn't I tell you. I only got here yesterday Hermione, I'm not going to tell you every aspect of my life, nor should you expect me to. I'll explain as much as I can later after the DA meeting." They were now in the hall; she huffed and nodded before disappearing behind a book.

"So, what's Snape's class like?" he didn't want to tell them that he had been spying on Hogwarts since Halloween, too many questions.

"He knows his stuff I'll give him that, but he's still a bully, expect to be called out in front of the class today." Ron told him. When Harry looked positively gleeful he gave him a funny look, but kept his thoughts to himself. They were soon joined by Ginny and Luna, and lunch past quickly with many batting of eyelashes and much giggling from Ginny, but Harry paid no notice, much to her ire.

The four friends made their way to the DADA classroom, Harry was almost bouncing with excitement, he might get to duel Snape if the professor felt like being an arse today. The other three found this new happy Harry quite disconcerting, and for once they were the ones who were glum and moody.

"What's got you so happy Potter?" Malfoy sneered from the Slytherin line. His groupies gathered around him, Harry could barely see him through the forms of Crabbe, Goyle and Nott.

"Well, it could be seeing your lovely face, but I doubt it. The real reason may be that I am just a happy person these days, or I could be on drugs, who knows?" Harry said cryptically. Harry had found that he actually missed winding up Malfoy, all those years when they were arch-enemies, Malfoy was now a fly in the ointment, sure he was more dangerous now, but Harry more so, and he wasn't a threat.

"Shut up Potter. You think you're so untouchable, we'll see after the Dark Lord is through with you." Malfoy looked almost too proud to utter the threat that had been sent at Harry a hundred times, he yawned just to piss Malfoy off. Before the ferret could do anything Snape glided from the room.

"In." he snarled. Goody.

They trooped into the dark room, and took their seats, Harry was surprised to see his friends, fill the back row, he shrugged and followed them; they usually sat in the middle somewhere, to appease them all.

"It seems that we are going to have to have a little review, Potter has disrupted our schedule." He drawled contemptuously.

"No need, _professor,_ I am completely caught up, in fact I've done all this year's work, so no need for a review." Harry told him politely.

"I will be the judge of that, Potter. We've been covering silent casting and offensive spells this year. If you can cast the spells I call out, silently, you will not need to stay behind for a few weeks or _months._ Let's begin." Snape looked to be almost frothing at the mouth to see Harry humiliated. Harry pulled out his wand, his untraceable wand. He walked to the front of the class and dropped into a duelling stance, a very advanced on he found at Potter Manor. Snape conjured a dummy.

"Blasting Curse"

_Confringo! _Harry thought, a blast of blue light struck Snape's target in the head, tearing it off. It reanimated and faced Harry again.

"Severing Curse"

_Diffindo! _ The dummy fell head over heels, literally.

"Explosive Curse"

_Expulso! _There was nothing left.

"Ropes"

_Incarcerous__! _

"Sheild yourself" Snape threw a banishing hex at him.

_Skeito, _Harry thought, a red barrier formed between him and the spell, when it hit the shield rippled and grew a more intense red.

"Well, it would seem Potter has learned something. Take your seat." Snape was furious, he was ready to shame the boy in front of him, to bring him down from all his arrogance and swagger, and now he had just performed perfectly, he couldn't find anything to say, no snide remark to anger the smirking twerp, he realized, he had nothing on him anymore, yet. "Carry on with your silent casting. Potter, help your incompetent friends." He said with disgust, at both acknowledging the boys skills and his friends.

"Wow, how did you do that Harry? Not even Hermione has the Explosive Curse down." Ron whispered to him, Hermione shot him yet another glare. He paired off with Neville as he was apparently the best. He soon realized he was indeed the best in the class, he was well above the normal Hogwarts level, no match for Harry, but he was good. Neville had an excellent duelling style; he was light on his feet and used his strength to his advantage, holding his position before moving to a better one. Harry could sense that he was powerful as well, more than Ron and Hermione even.

The lesson ended with the ominous sound of homework, three feet on duelling styles and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

That was the end of Harry's lessons for the day; he didn't have Charms till tomorrow, so he made his way up to his room, and jumped out his window. He transformed quickly, diving more daringly than he would on his broom. The freedom was invigorating, intoxicating; it was a drug, his drug. He soared over the forbidden forest, catching every detail of the sparse branches below. He wished he could stay in his animal forms, he had no worries when he was like this, nothing could touch him. He flew for about half an hour before going back to get ready for dinner and the DA meeting followed by an interrogation.

He swooped into the sixth year dorms, checked himself and went to wander the castle. He quickly gathered a legion of giggling girls; wherever he went they seemed to be, while he may have found this embarrassing before, it was just amusing and annoying now.

* * *

Daphne was walking down the third floor corridor on her way to the hall from Ancient Runes when she was pulled into an alcove near a suit of armour. She tried to struggle but the arms that held her were strong, he mouth was covered, she hoped the group off girls she could here nearby would help her, they didn't and she started to panic. She kicked out her legs, trying to throw he assailant off balance, it didn't work.

"Calm down… it's me…Harry." He said as he let her go, as soon as he did she whirled around and kicked him in the shin, hard. "Oww!! What the fuck?!"

"You scared the living daylights out of me!!" She screamed. He shushed her and peeped his head out of the alcove.

"It's okay, they didn't hear you. Right well the main reason I abducted you was to tell you to be at the DA meeting tonight, I'll be going too obviously, stay behind after the meeting, I have some explaining to do apparently." He told her in hushed tones. She laughed at him, it was like he was not expecting being followed, and he is Harry Potter for Merlin's sake.

"I'll be there, but won't they go all Gryffindor and scream treason? I saw you arguing with Weasley this morning, I don't think the Weasleyette will like me being there either; she's got her eyes firmly set on you." Daphne was actually quite worried about the little redhead. While she and Harry were not really together, they were almost there. She decided it was time to take the initiative. "I can help you with those girls Potter."

"How? They won't stop, one actually tried to follow me to the toilet earlier." He looked expectantly at her grinning face, her ice blue eyes for once shining with mirth rather than just frozen over. She had never looked more beautiful to him.

"Like this!" She lunged at him dragged out of the alcove by his lips. She was in heaven, their lips moved together like they had always been on each others

Harry was so surprised that he almost recoiled, but as soon as her soft lips touched his he let go, he let the feelings that had been bubbling under the surface for weeks now.

A shocked gasp made Daphne grin against his lips. She pushed him up against the wall and snogged him until he couldn't speak, she pulled back to see his red swollen lips and dazed look on his face looking back at her. Looking around they saw the small crowd of crestfallen, glaring girls had found them and were planning a way kill Daphne.

"Wow." Harry sighed. He grabbed Daphne's hand and dragged her down the corridor away from the soon to be rampaging horde of hell beasts.

They stopped somewhere on the fifth floor and fell into each other laughing.

"They looked like they were going to kill you! It's bound to cause a bit of stir for the gossipers and the fan girls. I'll be hunted for as much as you." They leant against the wall in a companionable silence, both thinking the same thing. _Should I ask?_

After fumbling over his words for a few minutes Harry managed to ask. "So, will you go out with me?" he asked in a shaky voice. _Why am I so nervous? I went out with loads of girls when I was away, it's exactly the same._

"Well, I suppose I can't back out now can I?" She saw the look of utter panic flash across his face and almost laughed. "Of course I'll go out with you. Men!" she dragged down to the great hall to face dinner with the rest of the school, and the haters.

* * *

Ginny was fuming, she had just witnessed that little stunt that the slut Greengrass had pulled, snogging _her _Harry in front of everyone, the whole school knew that Ginny wanted Harry, but she did it anyway, it was violation of a very secret and possibly made up code between girls. (AN: You know it exists, they just don't want us to know about it. Lol) Greengrass would pay, badly.

She stalked off after them as they fled down the corridor. She found them laughing madly on the floor of the fifth corridor. Hearing the entire conversation just made her that much more angry, as Greengrass dragged her man off to dinner a plan formulated in her mind.

* * *

"Harry?"A tentative voice broke through his contemplation as he sat in the library later that night. He had sat at the Slytherin table for dinner, very Gryffindor of him, the usual sneer and snarky comment that would have sent the old Harry into a hexing fit simply bounced of his now borderline inflated ego. As expected most of his other friends had glowered at him as if he cared what they thought of him now.

He had retreated to the library afterwards to get away from the stares; no one would expect to find him here this early in term, the perfect hiding spot from everyone except…

"Yes Hermione?" Harry sighed, not liking where this conversation was going.

"I…err….was…umm…wrong." Harry was a bit taken aback at the statement, be it very obvious, it was something for Hermione to know she was wrong, but to admit it to the person she had wronged was something else.

"Way to state the obvious. Which book did you read to tell you that?" Harry sneered, willing to draw this out as long as possible, he wasn't angry, he had expected Hermione to be the control freak she was, he was disappointed that she had thought she had enough control over him to do as she said, and that even though everyone had warned her against it, she still confronted him.

She flinched at his tone; it was very Malfoy-ish. "It was Ginny and Neville actually, they gave me reality check so to speak. Neville's been trying to talk me out of it since the train in September seeing as the only one who can come close to understanding what you were going through, but I wouldn't listen. Ginny was…well…Ginny was quite blunt about it, she told me that I should stop controlling Ron and to stop before everyone abandons me, she's right, I see now. So what I really want to say is that I'm sorry, so very sorry that I thought I could control the people around me, I was almost like Umbridge when you think about it. I'm sorry, for everything, for not believing in you when you left in the summer, I'd thought you'd abandoned us, I know you would never do that, now." She kept her eyes firmly on the table throughout her monologue, never once looking up to see the faint smile on Harry's face.

"Look on the bright side, at least you don't look like a toad, that kind of ugliness can't be fixed on this planet." His voice was light, but it carried with it an understanding that she was sorry. "You're forgiven Hermione, I was never really angry with you, I just thought I should stop you before you applied to work in the Minister's office. Come here." He got up and held his arms open wide; she quickly rushed into them and held onto him like he was the original copy of _Hogwarts: A History._

"So, how's the DA going? I've heard you opened it up to the whole school, who thought of that, you or Dumbledore?" He asked her as she sat down, she looked majorly embarrassed.

"Well, it was Neville and Luna that came up with it actually, Ron was dead set against it, and he didn't like the idea of training Death Eaters. We voted him out though; as you could have guessed at breakfast and dinner he still doesn't like it. Speaking of dinner, what is going on with you and Daphne?"

Harry smirked at her girly side coming out. "I asked her out she said yes and there we are."

She rolled her eyes at him and sighed in frustration. "I figured that much out on my own. This is a little out of the blue isn't it; you've never talked to her as far as I know."

"I'll tell you all the rest later, after the DA meeting, looks like I've got a lot of explaining to do." He glanced down at his watch. "C'mon it's almost time."

They left quickly and found half the school waiting to get into the Room of Requirement.

"Oh shit."

* * *

And there you have it, I know, it was so awesome you wet yourself.

Ok confession time. I have been toying with the idea of bringing Sirius back, I know I would have to do the whole 'Harry goes through veil, uses will power to bring Sirius back with him' thing and that has been done almost as much as the Merlin/Gryffindor heir thing. I just think that the new Harry would interect very well with Sirius, seeing as they are now similar people. Let me know what you think.

R&R!!!!!


	4. Chapter 4

Well people here we are again, the start of another chapter, ah the times we've had in the 3 or 4 weeks I've been posting, how fun.

Thank you all for reviewing, the good and the bad. The Sirius idea got some mixed reactions, some thought it was the worst thing since Saved by the Bell (Awesome when I was 9) other people thought it was a goodish idea. I have decided not to bring Sirius back, as I fear many of the readers may overdose on cliche (I've seen Disney movies, its possible), though Sirius will factor in the story and interact with Harry, but he wont be alive it will be a brief encounter, I don't know why they will see each other yet, they just will.

Ok, in this chapter Harry reveals some of what he did while he was away, plans are made, damsels are saved, and Harry realises he's not as smart as he thought.

Enjoy  
**

* * *

It Starts: Chapter Four – ****Carpe Noctem**

"It's not that bad Harry, only twenty or fifty more than usual." Hermione laughed from next to him.

"Yes, I know that, but they are only here to see if I'm going to tell everyone where I've been, and I'm not even allowed to do that, plus all the other stuff I've been doing. I'm reluctant even tell you guys and Daphne, but I owe it to you all, I suppose." Harry whispered to her as they approached. She nodded sadly and paced in front of the blank expanse of wall. A different door than Harry remembered popped into existence a few seconds later, this door was much bigger, for the obvious influx of members and he noticed that it was reinforced with steel bracers. Confused he trooped into the room to find what pretty much a war room was. Tables full of maps of the grounds and Hogsmeade with strategic lines drawn and notes in Ron's obvious messy scrawl, plus a few others, sheets of parchment stuck to the notice board near the door had what seemed like patrols or guard rotations.

Moving to stand over where Hermione and Luna were gathered by the bookcase, he shot them a questioning look, they smiled proudly and blushed a little but otherwise did not say anything, it looked like he was not the only one who had explaining to do. He stayed by the bookcase, browsing the tomes available, until Ron, Ginny and Neville came. He went and stood in a dark corner, he liked the mysteriousness. He watched as the gathered students moved toward the cushions in the centre of the room, he spotted Daphne with her friend Tracy towards the back.

His five friends stood at the head of the room with a slightly commanding presence that Harry supposed he must have had pushed onto him as a child, now he almost liked the attention. Ron spoke up first in a strong voice.

"Hello everyone, I hope you had a nice Christmas, I'm not really sure what we are going to do this meeting, Neville and I discussed just doing a quick catch up before moving onto duelling practice against multiple opponents, but I'm sure you as well as I have a few questions for Harry, so what we will do is finish half an hour early so we can put him on the podium and see what he's got to say." He could hear the smirk in his friends' voice. _I've got the perfect payback for you Mr Weasley. _"Okay, let's start with that new banisher we were working on before the break, then move on to any spells you have trouble with, we'll be in the crowd if you need help. Off you go." Harry was impressed by his friends' confidence, it seems like he's not the only one to change. Though Ron had changed a little you could still see his distaste when he even passed a Slytherin, if he had to talk to one he became plain surly.

Harry drifted towards Neville, who was helping a fourth year with the explosive hex, he observed him as he told the young girl the proper wand movements and helped her with her stance.

"Hey Neville, can I talk to you for a moment?" Harry asked him, walking out of the half light, scaring the girl sideways. He apologised and followed Neville a few feet away.

"What can I do for you?" He asked.

"Well, I was kind of wondering what all these maps and rotations are; it seems to me that you're planning an assault or something. Care to explain?" Harry grinned at his sheepish look.

"Well, not an assault, a capture of sorts, Professor Dumbledore thinks that it would be good to plan a recapture of Hogsmeade encase the Death Eaters take it, he said it was likely to happen this year. The guard rotations are because of Malfoy and his goons, most of the school don't know about it but they've been tailing and beating up people who attend the meetings, so we set up patrols or escorts for some of the younger students. It's not been anything serious yet, a few broken noses, some bruised ribs and the like. We can't catch them all. He's gotten too big for his boots it seems." Neville said quietly, Harry was not expecting this, Daphne had said nothing about it, it wasn't something she would know about. "Only full members are allowed to join the guard patrols and only if they get permission from their head of house." He finished with a sigh.

Harry crossed his arms, one hand holding his chin in contemplation. "Things here are worse than I expected, I'm sorry about this Neville, I can't help feeling that if I hadn't had left this would not happen. I'll deal with Malfoy myself; it's about time he was put in his place, you and Ron want in?" Harry asked. The feral grin that erupted from Neville's face took him by surprise.

"Definitely, me and Ron think we could match up to him if we go all out, but he's good from what we've seen in class. You think you could take him easily?" Neville asked with a smirk, which Harry answered with and evil grin.

"Take him? No, I'm not going to take him; I'm going to humiliate him." Harry looked around to find a few of the nearby people looking fearfully at them. "I think we're scaring people, Nev." Neville looked around and laughed, which in turn made people shift away slightly. "You better get back to them, I'll talk to Ron and we'll plan after the meeting." Harry melted back into the shadows and made his way round to Ron, who was standing at the edge of a group of fifth year Hufflepuff's , they were working on the Patronus by the look of white mist coming from the group.

He once again scared everyone in the vicinity silly by emerging from the shadows. "Ron, a word if you don't mind?" He nodded and came to stand near Harry.

"What's up, mate?"

"Neville and I are planning to deal with this Malfoy problem, tonight after the meeting, once we're all finished talking, we need you, best strategist in the school and all that. Plus I don't want his boyfriends getting in the way. If you think we need extra men pick your best and most trustworthy, I know that Nott is firmly in with Malfoy now, probably a few seventh years as well. Later okay?" Harry shifted back into the background as Ron nodded and went back to the Hufflepuff's.

An hour and a half later, Ron called a stop to things and called Harry up to the front of the room. Harry appeared out of the shadows right next to him and laughed as the whole room jumped.

"Okay, I'm here, what do you want to ask?" He said, already regretting it. "One at a time please."

"Why did you leave?" A brave third year Ravenclaw asked.

"It's difficult to really say without revealing things I don't want revealed." Harry sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He liked attention, but this was over the top.

"Like your secret love child in Godrics Hollow?" A voice that was unmistakeably Daphne's shouted out.

Harry laughed. "No, I was in Godrics Hollow to pay my respects to my parents, like I did on Halloween, though I wasn't sighted then. Anyway, the reason why I left was because…well some of you may know that Sirius Black was my godfather." A few nods and shocked faces told him that he was right. "Well he died over the summer, it was partly my fault," He held a hand up to his friends off to the side. "It was and I've come to terms with it. Right so, for the first few weeks of summer I sank into depression and only with the help of some very close friends and something to take my mind off it was I able to focus on the war and what was going on. Now comes the really hard part, umm, you all know about the catastrophe at the ministry, well, there is a hall in one off the departments, the Hall of Prophecies, in there the prophecy that connects me and Lord Voldemort." Cue sharp intake of breath. "Basically it says that it comes down to me and Voldie, which I've sort of guessed for almost two years now. I won't go into that anymore. So, I had to deal with that over the summer, and after Sirius' will I sort of snapped and I ran. I wasn't really all there if you get my meaning." Everyone was looking at him in awe, to be expected really though. "Umm, next question?"

"How do you get up in the morning?" A small voice asked from the front, a Slytherin

"The same way you all do, I suppose not everyone would feel like getting up if they had to face Him, but if you had lost as much as I have wouldn't you, he took my parents, my childhood, my home, and now my godfather, it makes you want revenge, trust me. This isn't all for revenge though, that would be foolish, it's for the things that I still have here, a family of sorts," He gestured toward Ron and the others. "A home which I can't tell you about." He shrugged. "Plus, I'm alive, live while you can and live it as much as you can. Next?"

"How come you're so different?"

He laughed lightly. "Noticed did you? Well, a few things happened while I was away, I didn't just stay at home, I travelled a little, met some very interesting people, it's not my place to say, but it was a life changing experience, a real eye opener, can't say any more than that. Anymore questions?" Harry asked, quickly dodging questions about his travels.

"What are you going to do now?" Michael Corner asked.

"Have fun, spend time with my friends, help you guys and help Dumbledore get rid of Vodlemort once and for all. It might take a while but it'll get done." Harry finished with a serious face. "That's enough for now. I need to chat with my friends for a while. I'll see you around the school probably; try not to pester me too much." He chuckled.

Ron dismissed them quickly informing them of the next meeting and shooing them out of the room. He glared at Daphne when she wouldn't leave; she simply smiled icily and walked over to Harry, earning an extra Weasley glare. Harry smiled at her and pecked her lips briefly.

Tapping into the room's magic he changed it into a comfortable lounge with large cushy chairs and round coffee table in the centre. "Sit." He said, conjuring some butterbeers and sandwiches from the kitchens.

Once they were all seated Ron took charge once again. "Explain, you sit with the Snakes at breakfast, you're an animagus and transform in front of the class, then memory charm the class, you turn up at dinner holding her" he nodded to Daphne. "hand and sit with the snakes for all of dinner. What's going on?" He asked bluntly.

"She has a name you know. The reason I'm so friendly with Daphne now is because since October she has been my spy here, telling me anything of consequence, but since that's pointless now I thought of better way to keep her round, to ask her out. There that's two of you questioned answered. The memory charm was always planned, whether it included McGonagall was optional, if she agreed to let me go unregistered then I would let her keep the memory of it, but as you saw she didn't so I had to memory charm her."

"How did you make it not include us though?" she pointed at herself, Ron and Neville. "I've read about Memory Waves, some of the highest Obliviators use them for large incidents involving muggles. Only a few of them can be selective about who is left out of the charm, and even then it's only one person. You did three people without using a wand and silently. That shouldn't be possible, not even Dumbledore has that kind of mastery on wandless magic. How did you do it?!" Her voice had risen as soon as she had realized what Harry had done. Her tone implied that was not a question but an order. Harry's face had turned to stone in an expressionless mask.

"Hermione," He said in an eerily calm voice. "I've told you once, you cannot demand me to do anything, calm down before I do something we will both regret." She looked at him, she saw the disappointment had come back and sunk back into her seat and dropped her head down and looked at her hands.

"I'm sorry Harry." She whispered.

"It's okay, I understand what control does to people. The reason I am able to do this is that after my birthday I experienced a monumental increase in power, it was like nothing I'd ever felt, I shortly discovered that I could do most spells on the Hogwarts curriculum up to seventh year, and most weak spells like stunners and disarmers, the rest has to be done with a wand, but as I was moving around the expansive library in my home, I found a book on memory magic, things like pensieve operation, memory charms and memory waves and so on. I soon found that I had an unbelievable amount of control over the mind and memory magic, which is the reason I can be selective to such a level with the memory wave. Occlumency is beyond easy now; Legilimency is a little harder but controllable."

"What about your animagus?" Ginny asked, a mischievous glint he eye. "Did you really transform in class?"

"Yeah, McGonagall was a little surprised I tell you, I have a feeling she knows who taught me though. I was so fast in learning because of the extra power, and the huge library at home, who needs to research the animal when a book on animal anatomy is already composed by an animagus?"Harry shrugged.

"What's your form?" Luna asked airily.

"Golden Eagle." Harry watched as Hermione came out of her sulking to glare at him, it all clicked in her head now, she was too shocked before to notice the similarity.

"It was you! You nicked my hat!" She folded her arms and huffed as the rest of them laughed riotously. The corners of her lips twitched a little but that was the most they were going to get.

"I couldn't resist, it was the only time I would get to see you, and I was on my way to meet Daphs here in the cave Sirius stayed in during the Tournament. We met up there a few times mainly on the Hogsmeade weekends; I gave her the map so she could come out when she had important news that couldn't wait.

"Why didn't you ask us to do it?" Ron said flatly, a look of betrayal in his eyes.

"You guys see Dumbledore too much, if he had enough reason he'd try to get into your mind and although he wouldn't know where I was he could trace the owl and work his way through the protections, it was too risky, I needed someone he wouldn't suspect but was trustworthy."

That did not seem to appease Ron. "What?! Her?! Trustworthy?! She's Slytherin, none of them are! Why can't you see that?" He shouted at Harry, who sat there with a calm expression and let him run himself into the ground. He continued to rant until he was going in circles. Slytherin to Untrustworthy to Death Eaters to Untrustworthy then back to Slytherin, a vicious circle that thousands of close-minded Gryffindors, including himself, had gone around, but now he knew different.

"Ron, sit down." Harry said in such a cold voice it stopped Ron in his circular tracks and forced him to sit down quickly. "I'm going to explain this to you again, listen or don't listen I don't care. How can you call the Slytherins untrustworthy? Name one that you know beyond petty insults. Hmm?" No answer. "Exactly, it's not all black and white as you and your family see it, there are reasons and consequences for every action and reactions, the full story is never known, it's all speculation. Take the our little excursion to the ministry last year, the action was me casting the Cruciatus on Bellatrix, the reason was anger and loss of Sirius, the reaction was her taunting me further to point where I was willing to kill her right there, the consequence, it felt good, too good, I was tempted to use it again over the last few months in a few sticky situations. This is merely an example of what I'm trying to say, not all good people do good things, it's subjective, and unless you know the full story, you can't judge." Harry finished wisely; he had too much experience with the blurring lines between good and evil. He looked around at his friends. Hermione looked deep in contemplation, Neville looked sympathetic, Ron looked slightly disgusted but understanding, Luna was just as dreamy as ever, Daphne was indifferent, Ginny looked pale and scared.

"I'm sorry Harry, Daphne. I'll try to see it you way, but it's the way we've been brought up." Ron offered quietly, gesturing to himself and Ginny. Harry couldn't fault them for that.

They sat in a tense silence for a few minutes, each thinking of the contemplating what Harry had said. None of them could deny that they had thought about the dark arts, for different reasons all together.

"Harry, could you help us without animagus forms? I've been having a little trouble with the anatomy." Neville asked, breaking the tension completely.

"Yeah, I'll get you all a copy of that book, though McGonagall is teaching it pretty much how it's supposed to be done. I've got some potion left over for you two." He pointed to Ginny and Luna, they both nodded eagerly. He turned to Daphne. "So, Daphs, what's your form? You failed to mention at all those meetings we had." He smirked at her scowl.

She said nothing for a moment before clearing her throat and mumbling something intelligible. "What was that? Speak up.

"A Panther." She ground out through clenched teeth.

"Why are you so reluctant to say that? A panther is awesome, agile, powerful and sleek." Harry was bewildered as to why she wouldn't want to say it.

She leant over to him and whispered in his ear. He quickly adopted a smug grin.

"Right, is there anything else you wanted to talk about or should we head to bed?"

"Of course there is. Where did you go except for your mysterious house with the massive library?" Ron asked excitedly.

"Umm, I went to China to see the Shoalin Monks, I'd heard rumours that their masters practiced magical combat as an art form, turns out to wrong but they gave me a few pointers on my fighting and breathing techniques. I went to Africa to see a Healing Shaman, he really helped me with my healing skills. I stopped in on Charlie in Romania, he didn't know it was me; I just had to see at least one of you. While there I found a clan of vampires," Hermione and Ginny gasped. "Don't worry, most people don't understand them much, which is understandable considering the drinking of human blood thing, but if you live among them like I did you would understand so much more. I can't really say much more about them, we evoked a Blood Oath, not many people know about it these days. I have a token they gave me, it tells me if they are okay, and their leader has one I gave him. What the Blood Oath does is bind me and my line to them, they can call on me to help them in any way I can and I can do the same with them, it gives me a little pull with other clans if I show them the token. If I can find others I can gain allies or even neutralise them for the time being. I didn't really go anywhere else exciting mostly training with the locals." Harry finished with a reminiscent smile.

"What about those sticky situations you were on about?" Neville asked wearily.

Harry laughed a little. "Yeah, well I was flying over a forest near Brecon in Wales and Death Eaters were gathering around a fire halfway up a mountain, no idea why, they gibbering about something or other, only low ranking guys no one important. So I swooped under the canopy and transformed back on a branch, not as easy as it sounds, I threw one of Fred and George's paint bombs in the middle, next thing you know everyone is covered in luminous pink paint I throw out a powerful cutters at surrounding trees, they fall in on most of them, took me a few hours to hunt them all in that forest. So when I say sticky, I mean it literally. I handed a few of them in anonymously."

"What about the rest of them?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Use your imagination." Harry said darkly. He winced as images buried deeply jumped to the forefront.

"Oh" She breathed

"You…You killed them?" Ron stuttered out.

"I did what was needed, I don't want to, they were a threat, I eliminated them. Dumbledore's way of defending only when we're attacked is ridiculous, he's not actually doing anything to prevent the attacks or reduce their forces. The best defence is a good offence, they say. There were a few other incidents but nothing of note. Now, Ron, Neville and I have some things to talk about, if you'll excuse us." He locked eyes with all of them he saw defiance and curiosity, he swiped his eyes over them once more and they left quickly. Harry walked to Daphne to the door and kissed her sweetly goodnight and walked back to Neville, he quickly changed the room into a small meeting room, he pulled The Marauders Map out of his cloak and placed it on the table.

"This should help I think, I'll see if I can get Moony to make one of Hogsmeade for us, make things a lot easier." Harry had actually told Remus to start as soon as he could already.

"You know them? Fred and George are going to jump you as soon as they find out. Who are they? Do we know them?"

Harry smiled sadly. "You know two of them, or knew anyway. Moony is the one and only Remus John Lupin, out for DADA Professor, esteemed member of The Order of the Phoenix and Marauder Extraordinaire. Padfoot is the self proclaimed sex god that is Sirius Orion Black the Third, Azkaban escapee, Hippogriff stealer, and Marauder Showman. Prongs is the all together very dashing person known as James Potter, ex-Auror, father to an all together even more dashing Harry James Potter and Marauder Prince. Wormtail is a traitorous little rat that's barely worth mentioning." Harry finished with a fierce grimace that would make even the strongest man hesitant.

"Pettigrew!" Ron spat in disgust. Neville looked confused. Harry told him a brief version of his third year and he was wearing the same expression as Ron.

"Let's get on with planning, we've wasted enough time. So, do we know where most of the attacks take place? We could at least prevent any other attacks not organised by Malfoy that way." Harry watched his co-conspirators glance at each other before nodding.

"If you go by house it looks pretty random, but if you look at it as a whole it seems each attack is just around the corner from a common room or not far from the infirmary, they seem to want each attack to be seen and people to take notice." Neville summarised.

Harry layed his head in his hands to think. "We're going to need two more people then, who are the next best duellers in the DA?" He looked up to them just as Ron shook his head violently, obviously disagreeing with Neville. "What?"

"Ron thinks that the next best dueller is untrustworthy." Neville said slowly.

Harry sighed. "Slytherin?" At Neville's nod harry shook his head. "Who?"

"Blaise Zabini." Neville told him.

"He's okay, a friend of Daphne's, who else?" Harry ignored Ron's grimace.

"Definitely Hermione, by far. A couple of Ravenclaw seventh years are on par with her." Ron Said confidently.

"No, Hermione wouldn't approve, who out of the Ravenclaw's you would recommend?" Harry asked quickly, Hermione would flay him if she found that he was going to confront a student out of the proper lines of investigations.

"Eddie Carmichael, Hermione is not a fan of his because of the brain elixir he was trying to push last year; he's got a mean side to him." Neville said absently looking at the map before them.

"When do they usually try it?" Harry asked, now looking for good spots to hide at each common room.

"At least once a week, we can't be more specific than that. We've not taught them concealment charms yet, once we do that all members will be disillusioned before they leave and when they get back." Neville explained. Harry had expected this.

"Don't worry about that, in the next meeting I'll take those two and I'll teach them what they need to know, Disillusion charms and Confundus charms should do it, maybe a few shields and hexes. Put the notice of another meeting for tomorrow so we can observe for any tails on the students. Now, what year groups do they usually go after? I assume it's the younger ones." Harry asked them, it would make sense for Malfoy to go for the lower years, he could influence those more and they wouldn't put up a fight.

"Yeah, so far it's third year and lower, maybe a fourth year if their daring." Neville sighed. "I can't believe they go for first years, what a way to come into this world being beaten and left there. They must be terrified." He shook his head angrily. "This better be good Harry, they deserve revenge for what they've been through."

Harry placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Nev, we'll get them real good. Ron, what do you think is the best way to separate Malfoy from the herd? I need him away from his goons, but not out of sight, people have to see him go down for this to work."

Ron studied the map hard for a few minutes before he smiled. "Well, if we can find out the where and when we should be able to do it anywhere, these alcoves," He pointed to the periodic alcoves that ran through the entire school. "we could hide in those while you are further down the corridor. As they walk past the four of us will take the rest of the group out, leaving him for you. We're going to need bait though; I think I can count on someone." Ron finished, still looking at the map. "Harry!" He was pointing at name on the map surrounded by other names, the most prominent of which was Draco Malfoy. The name in the centre was Daphne Greengrass.

"If you'll excuse me."Harry said calmly, and disappeared.

* * *

"Granger, can I talk to you for a second?" Daphne called out just they left the Room of Requirment. Hermione whispered something to Ginny, with one last glare the redhead walked off.

"Yes?" Her tone was cool at best.

"Well, I know that we've barely spoken these last six years, but I find myself actually wanting to make an effort with Harry, and therefore I have to get along with his friends, and seeing as both the Weasley's think I'm You-Know-Who's right hand woman, it's not going to work with them right now, so I thought that you and I could get to know one and other, I don't mean hang out or anything, just studying together now and again, I bet we could probably teach each other loads." Daphne was actually hoping she agreed, actually initiating something social was quite different for her.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the Slytherin girl. "Okay, but I warn you now, if you hurt Harry you won't just have me to deal with, you'll Ginny and Mrs Weasley too, you don't want that."

"I've already got Ginny to deal with; she's been glaring at me when she takes breaks from drooling over Harry and batting her eyelashes." Daphne smirked at the girls attempts to get Harry, she had another thing coming if she thought she could get him that easily.

Hermione forced a ghost of a smile away."Yes, she's been after him for while now, from what I hear about earlier today you're going to have a lot of competition from pretty much the rest of the school."

Daphne grimaced. "Tell me about it, I actually had a girl asking if she could join us sometime on the way up here. That's not to mention all the stick I'll most likely get for being with a Gryffindor, especially him, they all need to get their heads out of the sand if you ask me."

"You're so right, with me being muggleborn Malfoy has double the reason to try and be funny with me, being Harry's friend is a project on its own, but it's worth it, always has been." Hermione finished with a beaming smile. She really did care for him.

"Well a little danger is worth all that he gives back. I best be going, its late as it is. I'll see you round Hermione."

"Goodnight Daphne."

Daphne rushed down the corridor to get back to the common room before curfew at half ten. She almost ran into a roaming suit of armour on the third floor staircase, walking down the once forbidden corridor, she heard footsteps behind her, not caring if it was an innocent lost child she drew her wand, before she could spin curse whoever it was she was grabbed around the neck and her wand wrestle from her grip, she could hear several pairs of feet shuffling after her, but could see no one, she was dragged into a nearby classroom and thrown to the floor. A torch was lit and she was looking up into the pale pointed face of Draco Malfoy.

"What do think you're doing Malfoy?!" She screamed at him. She knew what was going to happen, several of the girls around the school had been attacked, but nothing reported.

"I'm doing what I want Greengrass, and I want you." He sneered and leered at her. He reached out and caressed her face. She shivered and tore his hand away in disgust, she wouldn't let this happen. Malfoy looked enraged and stuck her across the face hard; she could feel her eyes watering against her will. Malfoy reached out again, this time to her blouse; he ripped the top three buttons down before…

"I wouldn't do that Draco." Harry said quietly, from the right where he leaning casually against the wall. Malfoy's wand snapped to him quicker that she'd ever seen. All of his goons were lying unmoving on the floor; she'd never heard or seen them go down.

"And why would that be Potter? I'm only taking what I deserve. What could you do to stop me, I've had training now Potter, and you'll never beat me." Daphne could almost see the stupidity coming out of his mouth. He just didn't know when to stop.

"Is that so? What has dear Auntie Bella taught you, a few dark curses, some even darker curses. Knowing a bit of modified Latin does not make a God Malfoy. I'm not here to beat you anyway, that can wait; I'm here to give you a warning, don't hassle anymore of my friends or the DA. Beating up children does not make you a man, it makes you a coward, raping young girls does not make you a man, it makes you a pathetic, worthless pig." Harry had slowly walked towards Daphne putting himself between her and Malfoy. "So let this be a warning, one more attack, and its fair game, and you won't like the results. Leave, your presence irks me." Harry placed a hand on Malfoy's chest and banished him through the door. He vanished the goons out there too. He took a deep breath and turned to face her.

Dropping to his knees he took her hand and held it gently. "You okay?" He asked softly. She nodded dumbly and fell into his chest. She didn't cry, she never cried, it was unbecoming of a pureblood woman, she just held onto him.

Harry held he as she took the support she needed, he would not imagine the 'if's' or the 'buts'', it would make him too angry, he couldn't be sure what he would do then. He took deep breaths until he could think straight again, it took all his will not to go out there and pummel Malfoy into an unrecognizable gooey pulp.

"I should get back to the common room now and so should you." Daphne told him after half an hour or so.

"We're already there." Harry said quietly. He kept hold of her hand as their surroundings changed to the outside of the Slytherin common room.

"How…but you can't…did you just…What?" She asked confusedly, maybe she hit her head, or maybe this was all a dream.

"Another time." Harry smiled, and kissed her softly on the lips before walking her to the common room door which he opened with a look. "Goodnight Daphs." He whispered as the door closed.

She really was getting fond of that nickname.

* * *

"Sorry about that gents'." Harry said as he materialised into the Room of Requirement. Neville and Ron jumped out of their seats in flash with their wands out. Harry thanked Merlin that he didn't have to get them to hone their reflexes as well as teach them the animagus transformation.

"How in the name of Merlin did you do that? It's impossible to apparate inside Hogwarts." Ron sputtered in indignation. It seemed Hermione had drilled some of the laws of magic into him as well as manners.

"Really? Hmm. Well that puts me in my place wouldn't you say." Harry shot a sly grin his two friends. "I'll tell you when you need to know, I suggest you don't try doing it in the meantime though, apparently Sirius saw my Dad do it and thought it was a good idea, he was in 's for a week, splinched into four pieces." Harry chuckled at the image; his father's journals had been most helpful in discovering his limits as Gryffindor's heir.

Ron paled considerably. "Four pieces?" Harry nodded, he fell into his chair looking like he would lose his lunch any second now.

"So what happened with Malfoy? All we saw was you appear in the room and move out of it. Is Daphne okay?" Neville asked as they sat down. Harry smiled at his friends concern for the new member of their little group, be it forced or otherwise.

"She's fine, a little shaken, but she's tough. I should tell you this before I go into what happened, Daphne has been giving me reports of the last few months of some of the girls in Slytherin or those close to them are being raped. I told Daphne constantly to attend more meetings and try to get your help, but she said it wasn't your problem, she wouldn't hear of it, so I let it drop. Until now, if we're going to take Malfoy out we need to expel him as well, cause as much as I hate to admit it, I don't want to kill him, and he could be useful at some point. I'm going to try and get Daphne and some of the other girls to go to Dumbledore or Pomfrey, which should get the ball rolling."

"That bastard! If you won't kill him Harry I will, he deserves no less than that!" Neville raged, he truly had no idea what he was saying. Harry frowned at him.

"No, no one deserves to die, not even Malfoy." Harry ignored Neville's look of disbelief. "There are things worse than death waiting for him. We get him expelled then we leave him until he is of use to us."

"What use could he be?" Ron asked quietly.

"I'm hoping that he will eventually see the error of his ways, he'll go to Dumbledore and beg for forgiveness, much like Snape did, and Dumbledore being the 'second chance' person he is will grant him it, only if he helps us, I don't know what he will do but I think he will help us if it guarantees his freedom. This is all guessing but it could happen if we get him expelled."

"You're saying that you would trust him?" Ron spat in disgust.

Harry snorted. "Like hell, I would trust him with sweeping the floor never mind an important task. Right, I think the plan should be pushed back until next week, he'll be suspicious for a while, and I want him to feel safe before we hit him." They both nodded their agreement.

"Okay, let's get back; I'm dead on my feet here." Harry yawned; it really had been a long day.

* * *

Waking up, Harry was confused; he was usually the first one up. He checked his watch; it was five in the morning, Neville's and Ron's beds were empty, Dean and Seamus were still sleeping, the absence of earth shattering snores almost seemed out of place. He showered and dressed in his workout clothes and headed down to the common room to find Neville and Ron talking over a game of chess.

"Well, look at you two early birds, did you both wet the bed or is there a real reason you're up? If it's the first one, please no details." Harry smirked at Ron when his ears reddened.

"I don't know about Ron, but I got up to ask you if I could join you on your runs, seems like a good way to keep in shape, and Quidditch is not my thing." Neville explained as Ron's ears became beet red. "You didn't actually wet the bed did you?" Neville asked uncertainly.

"No, just bad memories, Fred and George did…something when I was younger." He fell silent and looked at his hands; Harry promised himself that he would interrogate his business partners until they tell him.

"Anywayyyyy, what do you think Harry?" Neville asked from behind his grin.

"Yeah, sure, go change into something more comfortable to run in. You got any trainers?" Neville shook his head. "I'll get you some later; your normal shoes should do until then." He nodded and walked up to the dorms to change.

"What about you, come to join me for a nice refreshing run?" Harry said. Ron snorted, it was difficult for him to get up this early, never mind run.

"I wanted to talk to you actually, about Daphne, I know I'm not her biggest fan, but if I were you I'd tell her to be careful around us," Harry glanced at his friend suspiciously, was that a threat? "Particularly Ginny, I saw the way she was looking at the both of you, she's on the warpath, mate, I've seen that look before, when she goes after Fred and George, it's not good." Ron finished glancing about him, seemingly expecting Ginny to jump from one of the tapestries and accuse him of treason.

"Hmm, Daphs noticed too, it seems Ginny is not as over me as she says. Quite understandable if you think about it, just look at me." Harry chuckled, stood up and gave a twirl. "Seriously though, I've never seen this side to Ginny, I'll tell Daphs to keep an eye out, and I'll watch my food for love potions. Until we figure out what she's planning we can't do much more than that." Ron nodded and went to get dressed for the day.

Harry waited for Neville for a while and observed what was left of the chess match. It baffled him as to how Ron could think so many moves ahead to just close his opponent in. The predicament with Ginny took a backseat for now; he had bigger fish to fry, and smaller fish in between, smaller blond fish. Dumbledore was at the top of his list right now, the old man had to be dealt with delicately, if Harry put one foot wrong Dumbledore would accuse him of going dark or some nonsense like that, if you went by those archaic stereotypes set up by the Ministry Harry would indeed be considered dark or at least borderline, it was the type of thing that had been plaguing him, would his friends accept him if they thought him dark?

"You ready Harry?" Neville said as he walked from the stairs to the dorms.

"Huh, yeah…yeah, let's go." They left the common room into the all but dead castle; it was eerie at this time in the morning.

Once they got outside Harry walked briskly down to the lake and told Neville to copy him as much as possible while doing the stretches, it was a hard job for him to keep up with Harry but he did his best for a newbie. "Okay, you won't be able to run very far today, you need to get your stamina up first so just follow me round the lake I'll tell you when you should stop. Try to push yourself, and control your breathing, in through the nose out through the mouth, keep it even. Right off we go." Harry took off at an even pace, Neville kept up until about half way round the lake when he stumbled a little before righting himself; from there he dropped further and further back.

Harry waited for him as he passed the point they had started. Neville trudged to a stop in front of Harry, he fell to his knees panting like a dog.

"Good start don't you think. You should get up to the tower and take a shower; it'll get easier as you go on. I'll take a few more laps and see you at breakfast." With that Harry set off again, the rhythmic pumping of his feet helping think out the Dumbledore problem. It was not the most serious problem he had, but it would be his biggest hindrance if Dumbledore decided that he wanted Harry under his thumb. If he could make Dumbledore see that he was indeed out his control and could truly be a help to him then they might even form a sort of friendship, as they had said the other night neither could win this war without the other, Harry wasn't experienced enough, and Dumbledore was out of touch with the rest of the Wizarding world.

Harry came to a stop just outside the portrait hole, he didn't know the password, but that was irrelevant, the ghosts, portraits, suits of armour and statues recognised him for what he was, he could even make them chase people, but that was for another time.

He entered the common room to find it partially full, the few early risers were just finding their way down the stairs, he nodded to them and ran up to showers. In the dorm room Harry found Neville lying on his back spread eagle groaning. He chuckled as he dressed. Pulling Neville up and dragging him down the stairs and to breakfast, placing a highly sugarised cup of tea in front of him. He muttered his thanks and in half an hour he was a hyper as a crack squirrel. He got up and went over to speak to Luna; anyone looking on would only see blurring hand as Neville gestured wildly about something or other, he bounced about in his seat like a three year old.

"What have you done to him? He's more wound up than a pullback toy." Hermione demanded as she sat down, it seemed she had gotten over the revelation that her best friend was a killer.

"Umm, tea with two, three maybe seven sugars in it. He was kind of knackered after his run." Harry answered impishly.

"Seven? Are you trying to put him into orbit or something?" She said as Neville bounce back over to them.

"Hey Hermione!" He smiled brightly at the bushy haired girl, his open wide; Hermione snickered and piled her breakfast on her plate.

"Good morning Neville. How are you?" She asked him politely.

"Oh I'm great, just great, you know what I'm really great, couldn't be better!" Neville piped off in half a second. "And you?"

"I'm fine thank you." Hermione smiled.

Harry tucked into some pancakes as Ron and Ginny trooped in and dug into the mass amounts food left, being the morning people that they are they just grunted in greeting. Daphne plopped down into his lap shortly after.

"Hello lover boy, a lovely morning isn't it?" She grinned and planted her lips on his for a passionate kiss which was rudely interrupted by Professor McGonagall.

"Mr Potter, Miss Greengrass are you unaware that displays of affection are strictly prohibited from the Hall?" She appeared to be perfectly back to her normal self.

"I can't help it, I am just too irresistible." Harry quipped.

"Too much like your father and Godfather more like, don't let it happen again. Come see me at lunchtime, I may have a few things to help you catch up to your class mates." She had a very faint smile on her face. She stalked off to the head table.

The hall was filling up quickly, Harry saw Blaise and Eddie enter and appraised them both; Blaise was lanky and had a grace about him of fine living, dignity and strength. Eddie was of medium height and broader of the shoulder and looked very strong overall. Harry nodded to Neville and Ron; they pulled out their Galleons and set the time for the meeting tonight. Soon after everyone left for their lessons, Harry had Charms before lunch so he retreated to the Room of Requirement to train.

The room he called up was as bare as any room could get, all Harry needed was a few training dummies and his practice swords. A rack of wooden swords appeared along one wall, filled with scimitars, falchions, broadswords, katana and Dao. He chose two medium sized katana, his favourite combination, and set the dummies to a medium level.

Starting off with two of them, he ducked, dived, swivelled, twirled, jumped and parried. He struck back with fury that came from nowhere, adrenaline pumped through his veins pushing him further and further, he cut the two enchanted dummies down with two diagonal strokes, four more jumped in immediately, he smiled at them and jumped into the air, with his enhance abilities the air was about six feet off the ground.

One dummy head rolled within the first few minutes, he blocked, parried and countered as much as he could before dodging away and returning the attack. Two more fell with a double cross wards slash. The last one seeing his allies fall took on a new tactic, it went on the full offensive, making long sweeping slashes and pinpoint accurate thrusts.

Harry took his chance when the dummy made a horizontal slash at just above waist height, he bowed and span under the blade and slashed the dummies legs at the same time, coming out of his bow and taking its head with the second rotation of his spin.

Harry vanished all the mess and asked the room for a shower. Once ready Harry headed for Charms, the only lesson of the day.

* * *

After Charms, in which they were learning more complex animation charms that Harry already knew and was not afraid of showing off, Harry found Daphne and took her for a walk by the lake, packed up with scarves and gloves they wandered before settling under a tree.

"Did you really make the table and chair Waltz?" Daphne asked him, she couldn't believe his story of how Flitwick came to give him thirty points.

"Yeah, you should have seen Hermione; she looked torn between throttling me because I beat her effort and asking me to teach her. Flitwick was ecstatic; he practically bounced about the rest of the class." Harry grinned at her as she giggled, it wasn't very often she let her guard down, and he was very pleased she had let it down for him.

"Is it possible for him to bounce anymore, he's always bouncing. Anyway we didn't come out here to talk about how Flitwick bounces, why did you drag me into the freezing cold?" She shivered. Harry pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her; she snuggled into his chest and sighed in contentment.

"I want you to go to Dumbledore about Malfoy." Her head shot up and she glared at him. "Just hear me out okay." She nodded reluctantly. "It's not just you I want to go forward, I want you to convince the other girls to as well, we have to get Malfoy out of the school, there are only a select few who can challenge him in a duel, but those people aren't the ones he's attacking, Neville and Ron told me that he's been attacking the younger students after DA meetings, you didn't know about it because they're not being reported. If you can get those girls to speak up, and we catch them in the act of attacking another student, we can get him expelled and then he's out of the way for a while. Please Daphs, we need you."

"Harry, you can't expect them to just come forward after months and months, some of them can barely function as it is, and bringing this up will only makes it worse. If I try this and it doesn't work, they will hate me more than Malfoy for making them relive it. Can't you find another way?"

"Well, the attacks would probably get a normal student expelled, but with the power behind Lucius, even if he's and escaped convict, would just sweep away the charges while hurting that child's family, we need something that in the eyes of the law cannot be swept away."

"Okay, I'll try Harry, but I'm going to tell them to go to Madam Pomfrey, I don't know if you know this but the headmaster is a crotchety old man, it's weird to talk to him about this stuff." She laughed and snuggled back into his chest. Harry kissed the top her head and rested his cheek on it.

"I better get to that meeting with McGonagall, I have a feeling that it's something to do with my little memory trick, you never know, I might be alive after lunch." He pulled her chin up towards him and kissed her gently and slowly, leaving her with a slight dazed look in her eye when he left for the castle.

The halls were empty of students, all at lunch or somewhere else. He was starting to dread his meeting with his head of house, in the past he would have been carved out as fast as possible if he'd talked to her like he did this morning, now he hoped he was wrong.

"Come in." The stern sharp voice of McGonagall said as he knocked the door. "Ah, Mr Potter, I was wondering whether you would show up or not."

"Well, you ordered me so nicely I thought I might as well give you the honour." Harry said before he could stop himself. She glared at him a little before she smirked slightly.

"Sirius once used a similar line when I dragged him in for putting sticking charms on everyone's feet in the great hall, the boy forgot to put himself into the prank, he was the only one who could move. Now, I would like to ask you to undo the very powerful memory charm you have on me, I assure you, I do not take this lightly, casting any spells on staff or student that could endanger them physically or mentally is a serious offense, when it is removed we will see what kind of information you wish to hide, then proceed to what your punishment will be."

Harry was shocked, he knew this meeting would be about the memory charm, but he didn't expect her to know outright about it, then…

"Dumbledore?" he asked her, fuming.

"Yes the Headmaster searched my mind after I told him I could not remember a certain part of the day, at first I thought I was going senile, but alas no, instead I have irremovable memory charm on me!" McGonagall was equally fuming as Harry. "Remove it! Now!" She shouted.

"Okay, okay." Harry waved his hand a few times, never breaking eye contact with the seething professor. He entered her mind and found the encapsulated bubble that was his memory charm, almost impenetrable, except for a hairline fracture at the bottom, he started there and peeled it off with care, if he did it wrong her brain could possible find its way to the sole of her feet.

"There, you won't like what you see. I won't do it I tell you." Harry was pretty much talking to himself as the memory filtered into McGonagall's consciousness.

"You buffoon!" Harry swirled around from his mutterings and stared in shock at his professor, she only swore when she was really mad. "You didn't actually think I would make you register?" Harry nodded dumbly. "Bloody idiot! Just like his father!" she raged to herself. "It was a cover for the rest of the class, I am not about to make you register to a public record of your abilities, it would attract reporters and Death Eaters like flies to manure. I am well aware of the importance of secrets and will keep other peoples if necessary. I will not make you register until after the war, if we survive this one. Dolt!" She muttered at the end. Harry was thrown through a loop, since when had his professor become so devious and cunning? "Now, let me see that eagle again, I assume it was Remus who taught you?" He nodded, still trying to gather his scattered thoughts. He transformed and she inspected him from every angle, finally she nodded and walked back to her desk. He came back to human form and waited, wondering if he should tell her. It would be a load off his shoulders, only Daphne, Remus and Tonks knew right now.

"Professor? I think you should see something else as well, two things really, one more than the other I think." She looked up and he transformed into a lion, which smiled innocently, if that was possible for a lion. McGonagall looked on the edge of a faint before she gained some perspective. She again got up an inspected Harry's majestic form. Once she was done she flopped down into a newly conjured cushion chair.

"I assume you know?" she asked him after a few minutes.

"Yeah, first multiple animagus in over three hundred years, preceded by on William Flamel, brother of Nicolas Flamel, he had two forms, a Horse and Bottle Nose Dolphin, rather intriguing case, also the last known water animagus, the closest have been amphibian and not purely water based. Merlin was reported to be the first multiple animagus, four forms and the last know magical animagus, a Phoenix."

"Where did you find that information, it is supposedly reserved for the Wizengamot?" Harry waved his Potter ring about in the air. "Ah, Potter Library, it's been a while since I've walked those halls." Harry looked confused at this. "As Sirius' head of house, I was obligated to check on him when a family disturbance occurred, an old rule which placed the heads of house as the backup guardian should there ever be any need, he ran from his home to Potter Manor, I checked on him there and left him in the charge of your grandmother Gwendolyn Potter, that poor woman, both of them under the same roof. Your grandfather was ecstatic at having him there, Andrew Potter was such a child at heart, and I had just started here as he came into his seventh year, such a rascal, always smiling and laughing." McGonagall sighed, thinking of a happier time.

"Did you know them well?" Harry asked quietly, he had met his grandparent portrait at the Manor, but outside opinion was always welcome.

"With your father how could I not? I was at the manor every week or two explaining what those four hellions had done now, I never bothered going to see that monster Sirius had for a mother, it would only make more trouble, and that would not help him in a house hold of pureblood supremists where he was ridiculed for even being in Gryffindor. The Potters took care of telling Sirius off as many times as they did for James, they were such a loving couple, maybe a bit too much when it came to James, that boy arrived here with head that would burst out of a suit of armour, but they loved him, that was more that could be said for most pureblood families." She lapsed into a reminiscent silence. Harry smiled at this side to his now favourite professor.

"You know you're always welcome at the Manor, their portraits are still there if you wanted to talk to them, and you could use the library whenever you needed, and Remus is usually bustling round, he lives there with me as of just before Christmas." Harry trailed off as she gave him a look.

"Remus did not tell us he was living with you last night at the Order meeting; he was just as shocked as the rest of us when you were sighted at Godrics Hollow."

"Yeah I didn't tell him where I was going, it was the first time I'd seen the house, I'd seen their graves and the monument a few time but I never had the nerve to see the house. When I finally did, I couldn't take it. When I heard Mr Weasley shout, I panicked and went back to the Manor, Remus came to see me and we talked for a few hours." Harry had tears running down his face as he saw all the memories he had experienced that night.

McGonagall looked at the young man in front of her; she had never seen a person so strong yet broken at the same time. She pulled him into a motherly hug that had served her well over the years, she had seen many distraught teenagers come in and leave this school, some of them fixed their problems others let them go, this boy was the most distraught of them all, and his problems were too big even for her.

"There, there now, Harry, it's okay to cry, you lead a hard life, if anyone deserves to cry it's you. Remember, my door is always open, if you ever need someone to talk to, come see me." Harry smiled at her and rubbed his eyes, he couldn't go to the DA meeting like this.

"Thank you Professor, that means a lot to me. Is should go, secret meetings and all that, you know." Harry smiled at her smirking face. "No one can keep anything from you can they?"

"They try. Good day Harry."

"Good day Professor.

* * *

R&R like you never have before!!! Awww McGonagall is now a goodie and is into Harry's most trusted top trump card pile.

What does yee ol' merry people think of the training scene? I got into writing that with a vengeance. Who wants to see Malfoy get his skinny little arse kicked?


	5. Chapter 5

Don't look at me like that. I know.

Errr...Sorry?

Anyway, this is probably going to be the last chapter for a while again because I don't have anthing else written. And now the exuses. Well, let's start with utter laziness, I seriously couldn't be bothered people, I'd lost all motivation for this. Another is college pilled up, I was so close to completley failing, so a little priority re-arrangement was needed. There you have my less than dissapointing reasons.

The story is sort of planned for a few more chapters but nothing has been put down on paper or screen. Reading back over it I almost cringe at its cliches and grammer. I apologise once again. I would also like to say thank you for the reviews i am still getting, and if there are even people reading this still, thank you.

* * *

**It Starts – Chapter Five: Of Bumble-bees and Ferrets**

All was set. The plan had been tweaked a little because of recent events. Harry had been thinking of a way to deal with Malfoy without killing him, the more he thought about it, the more angry he got and the more likely that after tomorrow night the Malfoy Line would end. He had completely scrapped the idea of Malfoy gaining forgiveness through Dumbledore, there had been another attack on Sunday, on a young third year Hufflepuff this time, it was brutal; he had no mercy, the girl was lucky to be alive. She had been beaten over and over then raped repeatedly for hours; the DA patrols had found her in a sobbing bloody mess in an empty classroom, they had no idea what to do so Neville and Harry were called, who then called Hermione and Ginny to help the girl to the hospital wing. Harry had to hold Neville back from storming the Slytherin common room; only with repeated reassurances of revenge did he calm enough to leave it a few days.

Both Neville and Harry had checked on the girl, whose name was Rachel, she was severely traumatised and would be sent to 's that afternoon. Now that the staff had been notified to this one attack Harry urged Daphne to go forward, she agreed that it would be the best time to go forward, she then argued that it would be too much of a reminder for most of the girls and they would ever more distant to everyone.

Harry himself was disgusted by what he had seen, he had seen some horrific things in his past, but they all paled in comparison to the state they had found Rachel in, he could barely hold his seething rage, sometimes he had to check his aura, to see if it was showing. He had been a force to be reckoned with these last few days, if no one dared get in his way before, they were all but fleeing now; the groups of giggling girls had dispersed as soon as he had levelled them with a cold glare that could rival Severus Snape himself. He spent almost all his time with Daphne now, until he could ensure her safety he wouldn't take any chances, he had told Ron and Neville to keep an eye on Ginny and Hermione. None of them liked it but put up with their bodyguards protective moods.

Malfoy had been glancing over his shoulder every few minutes since the night of their little chat, whenever they crossed paths Harry projected his demise into his head, he too had fled quickly.

"What are you doing up here, Harry?" A soft voice spoke from the door to the stairs of the Astronomy Tower.

"Thinking, Headmaster, just thinking." Harry sighed, deciding to co-operate with his would-be-mentor for now. "I think I am beginning to understand your need for a Pensieve, my first week here was a busy one.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Such is the burden of being a leader, you either have too much to think about or too much time to think. I am willing to make some enquiries into any Pensieves that are around if you wish to purchase one." Dumbledore thought this would be a good start to rebuild some bridges.

"I would be grateful, Professor. What, may I ask, brings you out at this time?" Harry asked him, not really paying attention.

"I was in fact looking for you; I have a proposal for you.

"Oh?" Harry perked up.

"Yes, I have been thinking on your words from your first night here. First I must further apologise for an old man's mistakes and misgivings, it seems I have been too far removed from what is really important in this war." Harry raised an eyebrow in question. "It is not the greater good as I once thought, but each individual life, I was willing to sacrifice hundreds of people to save thousands without looking for another option, the greater good has been an obsession of mine from a young age, both I and a friend at that time, Gellert Grindelwald, strived to unite the Wizarding world, at first I agreed with his methods, until they got progressively darker, I then chased him from this country, not something many people know. I then took the lead in the fight for the greater good against him, culminating in our final duel, we were very close in skill and power, it was a close battle, but alas I have got lost in old tales. The proposal I have for you is this, join the Order of the Phoenix, it will grant you all the information you need, plus, I feel it would be a shame for us not to utilize each other's talents." Dumbledore finished, looking out into the dark night sky, it was barely nine and the skies were darkening already.

Harry stood there, quite stunned, he had not known of the friendship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, nor would many people he expected. "I will join, but this on no means constitutes as forgiveness, I still think it will be hard for you to let go of your controlling nature, much like Hermione is. Do not take this as an insult or a rejection; I am simply not ready to spread my trust thinly on the ground, especially where it may be abused. When is the next meeting?" Harry noticed the sad look in his Professor's eyes.

"There is a meeting starting shortly, that is why I came to look for you, it will be held in my office, shall we." The headmaster moved away from the battlements and toward the stairs, holding the door for Harry to go first.

Dumbledore was surprised when the Gargoyle guarding his office jumped away as soon as they were within ten feet. He looked suspiciously at Harry, thinking of question that had been plaguing him since last Monday, how had Harry bypassed the wards? He filed it away for later.

As they neared the top of the stairs, voices could be heard from within. Entering the office, Harry found himself surrounded by the foremost members of the Order, Remus, Moody, Kingsley, Tonks, The Weasley Twins, Bill, Molly and Arthur. All turned to look as they entered. Harry ran over to Remus and tackled him to the floor in his usual greeting.

"Moony, you old dog, where's this letter you were supposed to send me, eh? Too busy rolling in the hay with Tonks were you." This lit the Twins faces with glee.

Remus shoved Harry off him with a mock glare and a little blush and pulled him into a hug. "It's good to see you too, the letter is somewhere in the Manor, half complete. I got distracted." He glanced at Tonks, earning a fully blown Metamorphagus glare. The rest of the room were chuckling at them. Molly quickly engulfed him in a hug, she appraised him, apparently satisfied passed him to Arthur, he shook hands with the man he had come to see as the next best this to a father. Harry hurriedly explained about Godrics Hollow in hushed tones. He saved the best people till last.

"Partner," He nodded to George. "Partner," To Fred he said.

"Partner," They said to him in unison. Turning to each other they said "Partner."

"What did you do to Ron to make him so weird about wetting the bed?" He asked suddenly. They fell to floor giggling while Molly glared at them and Bill smirked.

"Yes, well, let's crack on shall we." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling at the Twins. "Kingsley, what has been going on in the Ministry these last weeks?"

This led Harry and the Twins into a downward spiral of boredom, Kingsley's report was at best tedious. Rumours of this… Plans to do that… The only part of the conversation that caught his attention was the reports from multiple eastern European Ministries that Voldemort had been sighted multiple times, apparently just roaming in the countryside.

"Was Romania one of them?" he asked. Kingsley nodded the affirmative. A sudden thought popped into Harry's head and he ran from the office with one word. "Crap."

* * *

The sun had just set in a dark forest in Romania, strangely this brought out more people than it should have, for these were no ordinary people, these were Vampires. They had lived here for almost a hundred years now, almost time to move on, their presence had become more and more noticed recently, the people going missing every few weeks had gained the attention of both the Church and the Ranger's which patrolled this area of the large forest and it's nearby towns. Soon there would be Hunters after them, both from the Church and the local authority, it was time to leave.

_Gabriel!_ A voice shouted in his head, a voice he had not heard in many months. The urgency in the voice worried him. _Gabriel! Answer me!_

_Harry! What is wrong? Do you need help? _Gabriel asked his blood brother.

_No, nothing like that, it's Tom, I think he's looking for the Solomonari Fortress, we've had reports of him wandering around Easter Europe, he could be after something completely different but I need to be sure. Have you noticed anything? _Harry asked urgently, it would be a disaster if Voldemort found the Solomonari Fortress, inside were supposedly thousands of years of text pertaining to all kinds of magic, he would be unstoppable.

The Solomonari were an ancient order of wizards that had their origins deep within Ancient Egypt and for thousands of years gathered all the knowledge they could, at first they were completely scholars, but soon they became corrupt by the power they possessed and used it to terrorise the people of Romania for hundreds of years, only when another secret order had stepped in and destroyed them outright, little is known of this order, it's name, The Shadow Guard, it's members consist of many magical creatures and humans. The Shadow Guard had stepped in only three times in history, this once, they interfered with the war between King Arthur and Morgan le Fay and last the Salem Witch Hunt.

_No, nothing, we've been getting ready to leave so we could have missed something, our feeding habits have been noticed it seems, we will head toward the fortress and set camp outside, I will inform the rest of the Guard, thank you for the warning, my Brother. _Gabriel was now starting to see the entire picture, this Tom Riddle had been roaming this country, unsettling the multiple clans of Vampires and Werewolves, they had then moved and encroached onto his territory, their alliance with the Werewolves was shaky to say the least, but he would not begrudge them this, he could use this build a stronger alliance and gather more of his people to him.

_No problem. Keep me informed, and be careful Brother._ With that the connection ended and Gabriel went to his mate, Elena.

She looked startled when he relayed Harry had said, she was too part of The Shadow Guard. "We leave immediately." He told her and he transformed into his own animagus form, a Black Wolf, and ran following his nose to the closest Pack of Werewolves, he recognized the scent of one of the Shadow Packs, Nathaniel's pack. Running for hours nonstop, he dodged tree's and leapt over fallen ones, as with most Vampire animagi, the senses of the animal mixed throwing out the bad and leaving the good, he could outrun any other animal in this wood with his enhanced strength and speed, the wolves hearing sight and smell were better than a Vampires, in essence he was the perfect wolf, a fact which he paraded to the friendlier Werewolves. He reached their camp within a few hours.

Quickly transforming into his original form, he entered the camp and presented himself for inspection, which consisted of good sniffing down and some hateful glances, proceeding to Nathaniel's tent he burst into his very old friends living quarters.

"Nathaniel, I need to speak with you quickly, it's urgent." Gabriel said calmly, not showing the panic he was feeling, if it was even possible for his kind to panic. Nathaniel lifted the wolf cub that had been lounging on his lap to the floor and offered him a seat.

"What is it?" His grave deep voice said.

"I have received word that this Voldemort that has plagued Britain for so long has ventured into this country, looking for the Solomonari Fortress, as you can tell this is most distressing news to the Guard; we are not as strong as we used to be. I come here asking your help, we can't let him take the Fortress, and we have no time to inform the Shadow Council. I leave as soon as I return to camp. If you are with me you should be able to find my coven. Goodbye old friend." With that he raced back out into the forest, transforming mid leap and bolting back to his camp.

* * *

Harry raced back towards the school; he had left so that he would not be disturbed while talking to Gabriel. Even in his eagle form he could not be there within ten minutes as he was miles away from the ancient castle.

Flying through the into an open window near the headmasters office he returned to his normal form, looking around for witnesses, he found none. Sprinting around the corner to the gargoyle, it leapt aside when it saw he wasn't waiting for it to move, impatiently waiting for the stair to carry him up. _Would it kill them to have some normal stairs in this place? _ He thought, frustrated by the apparent laziness of the Wizarding world. He barged into the office without knocking, to find Snape and Dumbledore talking intensely.

"Headmaster we need to talk, urgently." Harry looked into the eyes of the aged wizard, he could see suspicion and worry there, and whether directed at Harry or Snape he didn't care.

Dumbledore just gazed at him for a few minutes and nodded slightly. Snape got up to leave, but Harry stopped him.

"You should be here too Snape. It's concerning what Tom is up to in Romania." After one moment of surprise, replaced by a sneer of mutual loathing he sat back down.

"How would you know what the Dark Lord is doing? None of his Death Eaters know."Snape asked, half mocking and half curious.

"I'm not saying anything until there is privacy wards placed around us and I have an Oath of Secrecy from both of you." Snape actually smirked at that and Dumbledore looked shocked. An Oath of Secrecy was serious thing when broken. Harry not waiting for them to do it flicked his wand and set the most powerful privacy ward he knew. Dumbledore caught sight of his new wand and became even more suspicious. "The Oaths if you please." When both hesitated got ready to leave.

"Fine Potter, have your stinking Oath." Said and irate Snape, surprising Harry that he was the first to cave. He recited the Oath with grimace while Harry smiled like it was his birthday.

"Harry, are you sure this is necessary?" Dumbledore pleaded with him.

"Yes." Harry answered firmly. "As I told you earlier, I don't trust you." His shoulders slumped slightly but he consented to the Oath.

"Right, you said that Tom was looking for something, that he told no one." He said to Snape, who nodded. "Have either of you heard of the Solomanari?" The look on Dumbledore's face was pushing comical, Snape looked bewildered. "They were an ancient order of scholars who went power crazy, until someone stepped in, I am not allowed to speak of them, but I think you are aren't you." He directed at Dumbledore. Sighing he pulled a book from a drawer in his desk.

"Yes, I am allowed to speak of them, they considered me joining them before Grindelwald had risen, I have not heard of them since, they are most secretive. The Shadow Guard are the protectors of what is right and just, whether it is good or evil. How did you come to know of them, Harry?" Dumbledore looked at the point of drawing his wand on Harry there and then.

Harry sighed, he did not want to reveal much about his travels, Dumbledore would not approve and Snape may even hug him. "While I was away I travelled all over the world training, in Romania I came across a coven of Vampires, at first they hunted me, until I showed them this," He held his House Ring up.

"And what would that do to stop hunting Vampires?" Snape sneered. Harry once again stared at Dumbledore, the headmasters shoulders slumped even further.

"The Potters are directly descended from Godric Gryffindor, and while that is significant here in Britain, it holds a little pull with certain groups on mainland Europe, most prominently the Vladimir Coven, tell me, how is Gabriel?" Dumbledore was now returning to his twinkly best.

"He's worried, they are not as strong as they were before, and he has allies near-by, Werewolves and other Covens, but if he calls, I'm going." Harry told them, leaving no room for argument.

"Is this out of loyalty or is it some sort of alliance between the two of you?" Dumbledore asked seeking what was behind the veil of truth.

"Both. I can't talk anymore, I need to keep alert, and the wards around the castle may disrupt his message." Harry broke his privacy wards and left the office.

"Do you think he's done it Albus?" Snape asked sombrely. The boy had just earned a small amount of respect.

"I'm afraid so, he is a remarkable young man, so resourceful; this war has just got that little more interesting. Now, we must too help with the defence of the Fortress, if Harry receives the call, you must go with him, with the best fighters we have. It is imperative that we not let Tom get what is contained there. Not even I would dare enter such a place; the temptation would be beyond bearable."

"You want to send me away with Potter? You realise that we hate each other?" Snape was aghast at the idea of prolonged exposure to that little brat.

"Yes I do, but this will help you both get over your ego's, which was not a problem until this year, his arrogance is now indeed what you have been telling me these years, but I think now he has a right to be." Dumbledore said a little sceptically.

"If anything his arrogance is even more than his fathers, if possible, but I have to admit he is skilled." Snape ground out.

"His Occlumency is especially formidable; I could not even break his defence." Dumbledore admitted thoughtfully. "Now I feel we should both get on with some work, Good evening, Severus." Snape stood and stalked out of the office, only to be confronted with the insolent brat himself.

"What are you doing loitering about, Potter?" Snape spat venomously, that infuriatingly familiar smirk on his face just like his father.

"I wanted to talk to you, surprising as that is. He asked you to come with me if I go didn't he." It was statement not a question. Snape nodded stiffly. "Well if we are in fact on the same side, we should maybe call a truce on this little feud we have going, what do you say?" Harry extended a hand hopefully, what took place then was the fasted handshake in history, his cloak billowing with the speed he took off down the corridor. Harry grinned at thought of a truce between a Potter and a Snape. Little did he know, in the office above, the headmaster was chuckling to himself by what his portraits had just reported.

* * *

"Are you sure everything is ready? Has the delivery arrived? Are Blaise and Eddie ready? Did they get the Disillusion Charm?" Ron rattled off nervously. He had been like this all day, it was happening tonight and he was as nervous as schoolgirl before a ball.

"Yes, for the love of Merlin yes. Fred and George have sent the powder. They both got it easily. Just sit down before I put you on the ceiling with a sticking charm." Ron sat quickly while Neville chuckled quietly next to him. "If you're so worried, let's go over the plan once more for the eleventh time. First we get into position by the grand staircase, that way we can find out who out of the people being tailed is going to be attacked. Then we get in front of them, we know all the routes in castle thanks to the map so it won't take long. We get the four of you into your alcoves then I wait down the hall and it all kicks off, happy now?"

"Yeah… I think." Ron said. Harry shook his head and proceeded to hit it on the table a few times while giggling hysterically.

"I give up, I really do. Tell me when it's time to go; I'll heal the blood dripping from my ears before we leave." Harry said dryly. He scooped some chips onto his plate with some steak and kidney pie and dug in. Ron seemed to forget his nervousness and dived into the food.

"Nott, hurry up or we'll miss them!" Draco hissed at his roommate. Nott looked up and glared at his from his place near his mirror, checking his hair.

"Calm down Malfoy, I'd say you were almost worried, their traitors all of them, we're doing out Lords work, Potter alone cannot stop us." Nott said easily, he had not been with Malfoy when he attacked Greengrass and had been laughing at the exaggerations.

"I know that." Malfoy spat back. "He just has a knack of well and truly fucking things up for us. We'll have to be on guard tonight. Let's go."

And so the four of them left to find Thomas Acheron, the bastard child of Charles Avery, a Fifth year born just before the fall of Lord Voldemort. Finding him lounging in the common room, surrounded by enough girls that Draco had to scowl at him. He jumped up and loped his way across to them.

"Who are we hitting tonight? Is it that snivelling little first year that keeps bumping into us? That's happening to often to be a coincidence." He drawled, leaning against the wall with a casual indifference that made both Draco and Nott a little jealous.

"Let's drag Crabbe and Goyle away from dinner and I'll explain then." Draco told him with a glare that screamed 'I make the rules'.

Thomas snorted. "That is if they haven't locked themselves in a closet from the outside, I can think of kettles smarter than them."

Crabbe and Goyle were indeed in the Great Hall, stuffing their faces to bursting point, much to the detriment of Pansy sitting opposite them.

"You two, come on." They grunted and rose, following Draco like he had them under some enchantment. Three young men walked out of the hall with grace that caught a few eyes, soon followed by two gambolling half trolls. None in that hall suspected them of what they were about to do.

In good time they were in position, all they had to do now was waiting. Each completely invisible, the goons were silenced for good measure, they waited with a patience that some people would call Dumbledore-ish. Hours passed with no sound except Filch crooning to his sexually frightened feline.

Voices drifted to them from the staircase above, someone younger than them, saying goodbye to his friends started down the steps. He filed passed them oblivious to his danger, that made three of the boys smirk, though neither knew it. Following silently, they tailed the boy until he was about to turn the last corner to the Hufflepuff common room. Draco was about to grab the boy when he realised he was completely without backup, he let his quarry carry on as he turned to find where his comrades were, seeing none of them he slowly made his way back down the corridor, not a peep could be heard, nothing to be seen except for old armour an brass torches.

A ghostly laugh made him spin around franticly for the source only to find him about to curse thin air. Mocking his own weakness and cowardice, he turned continues on his hunt.

* * *

Harry watched with pride as his friends taught the DA their first patented spell. Hermione had been creating little charms for about two years now, her help came in very handy when they got stuck a few times. Harry had just sat back as they developed a new version of the Dark Mark; it was basically a holographic pure gold phoenix.

When cast the casters wand would alert others to it and the whether the charm is celebratory or a warning. The visual effect though were much more impressive, outshot the phoenix it wingspan at least twenty feet, talons the size of their forearms, its blazing white eyes piercing every shadow. It rose more gracefully than any dancer or other being could before letting out a shriek of hope and encouragement and bursting brightly into pure red flames which lingered in its shape for a few minutes. It was a simple spell in essence but it was more about the symbolism it created, than a way to fight Voldemort.

"Okay everyone, lets wrap this up, great job on mastering the Mark of the Light, as we are now calling it, it is only to be used in emergencies or as an all clear signal. Next time will be business as usual, so off you go and enjoy the rest of the night." Ron brought the meeting to an end, with a little nod to his Hufflepuff friend.

Harry pretended to talk to Blaise and Eddie until everyone had cleared out; as soon as it was clear they disappeared and followed the small boy. Harry could sense five extra people as they came down the stairs, he let his hand become visible when they had gone further on to let the rest know where he was, he cast a few quick charms so they could see him clearly as well. Speeding up after the Slytherins they found them just turning into the last corridor before the Puffs common room. The five saviours crept up behind the four lagging behind the leader and quickly and efficiently too them out with silent stunners and incarcerating charms.

While the others goons were being dragged off Harry observed the look of confusion, panic and suspicion on the blond ponces face. Strolling off up the corridor cheerfully, Malfoy following like overly suspicious puppy. Harry couldn't hold his laughter anymore and decided to mess with the idiots head and let out a distorted chuckle. The 'I-Want-My-Mommy' look popped onto his face as his span like a record (AN: Bad eighties pun ). Messing with him for a few more minutes Harry let his anger out and flung him down the corridor, and dropped his disillusionment.

"You! I'll get you for that Potter!" Malfoy screamed while getting to his feet. Harry just smirked evilly at him and dodged the severing curse hurling at him with a nimble sidestep and started walking slowly towards the seething blonde.

"You know Malfoy, I did warn you; all you've really done is proved to me that people who grow up in the magical world have no sense of logic. After all you and your friends are clearly outmatched by not only me but most of my friends, yet you still attack people." Harry's demeanour changed instantly. "How heartless do you have to be? She was barely thirteen. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Malfoy seemed torn between terror and pride, which only seemed to make Harry angrier. His eyes flared slightly and his aura glowed slightly. While slightly intimidated, Malfoy continues looking proud and answered.

"She got what she deserved, the filthy little mudblood that she was, that was the only thing she was good for anyway. It's your fault anyway, if you hadn't stopped me from taking Greengrass, I might not of had to have the young one, it really is a shame you can't learn you place, Potter, down on the floor with the scum, licking the boots of the dark lord." Malfoy said in a bored tone, glancing around the corridor for his back up, not paying attention to Harry.

While Malfoy was digging his own way into his grave Harry got close enough to strike. Continuing his tirade like the good little sycophant that he was, he did not see the kick that was swinging for his face. Falling from the blow, he rolled away into a suit of armour. The spear wielding suit roughly dragged his feet and held him a foot off the ground by his arms.

"Thank you Frank so good of you to help." Harry said to the armour, which nodded. "I don't believe you've met Mr Malfoy here, I'm sure he's pleased to meet you, but his jaw is fortunately dislocated, just like the snake he is." Harry lashed out with his fists until Malfoy was whimpering in between his laboured breathing; Harry reckoned that it was four or five broken ribs, a good start. "Drop him." He dropped to the floor oddly, landing face first with a sickening crunch from his nose. "How does that feel Draco? Is it painful? Is it uncomfortable? Just think how all your victims felt after hours of this, and that's just the boys, as for the girls, well, you would only get that treatment in muggle prison. Hmm, that's not a bad idea. For now, this will have to suffice." Malfoy writhed in pain as Harry kicked him between his legs. "Draco my friend, you're in for a rough night."

* * *

Neville and Ron watched as Harry beat Malfoy half to death and back again, each wondering if they had finally descended to the level they swore they never would, finding both a deep satisfaction and even deeper self-loathing at being a part of this depraved act of violence that barely held any meaning beyond humiliation.

Only Harry knew of how this would get the evidence they needed to be rid of Malfoy and his cronies.

Glancing at the Eddie and Blaise showed much that same contemplation their faces as they held the captives tightly in front of them, forcing them to endure witnessing the beating of their so called leader, seeing him for what he really was. It was all they deserved.

* * *

Madam Pomfrey thought once upon a time that she could easily separate her feelings from her profession, it would be as easy as flipping a switch between her very caring personality and the strict matron, though now she had to admit that it was becoming much harder than she would have predicted. It was never this hard during the first war; Hogwarts was primarily left alone, a few petty duels or calming draught for a grieving student.

These days though she was not prepared to deal with the amount of brutality that had leaked through to the school, regular beatings, the duels becoming more deadly and the worst crime in her book by far, rape. Seven girls had been found broken and abused in random parts of the school, none of them would reveal anything, too scared to even utter the name of their tormenter, she had her suspicions, nothing concrete but enough to feel the wall that separated the two parts of her lives come crumbling down and letting a burning hatred for her suspect form.

Still, she must remain civil and professional with her latest patient, Draco Malfoy. She found him and four others outside her infirmary, all battered and bruised. She couldn't help but feel a grim satisfaction fill her as she expertly and a little roughly dropped them onto their beds. The Malfoy child was by far the worst of them, multiple broken bones, concussion and some internal bleeding. The others just had some superficial cuts and bruises.

After stabilising the young man she left to her office to alert the headmaster of the incident.

"Headmaster? Albus? Are you there?" She called out of the fire. The ancient man strolled into view with concern written on his face.

"Poppy, what is wrong?" Albus said, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"It's the Malfoy boy and some his friends, I just found them outside the infirmary beaten half way through next week. Malfoy is in a bad way, I think you should be there when he wakes, I have a few questions to ask him and need your skills to get the answers out of him." She told him with a pointed look.

Albus suddenly felt like an errant schoolboy caught in the act nicking biscuits from the staff room. He had hoped no one would pick up on him using his Legilimency to find wrong doers. _Well, nothing a good obliviate won't undo_, he thought, about to reach for his wand, _Wait, what are those things that are getting in the way all the time? Pesky little things, hmm, ah, morals, such nuisances, well never mind, on we go._

_Yes, on we go indeed! _Another voice cheered dramatically.

"Headmaster, are you alright?" Poppey asked confusedly.

_She's onto us Alby, make a distraction and hide behind your desk, _the voice said.

Albus ignored his recently emerged overdramatic split personality. "Yes, Poppy, fine. I'll be right along."

Her head disappeared from the fireplace as he walked over to Fawkes and stroked his plumage. "You wouldn't by any chance know why I have an overdramatic split personality would you?" he asked the phoenix. All he got in answer was an amused trill and a knowing look. He sighed and left for the Infirmary, on the way, Dave, as he had now identified the voice, suggested some very inappropriate things, so much so that the headmaster blushed and walked quickly walked away from the very confused and slightly disturbed girls.

On entering the Infirmary he was immediately dragged towards a bed on the right, currently occupied by a pleasantly unconscious Draco Malfoy.

"How may I be of service, Poppy?"

"Well, as you know there have been many incidents this year that have landed students in one of these beds, and as we could not get the victim to speak out against their attacker we could only heal them and send them on their way. What I haven't told you at the request of my patients is that all of the female victims were sexually assaulted as well as beaten, including Miss Jones last week, though while I have nothing concrete, I believe that Mr Malfoy is behind these attacks, along with his friends. The reason you are hear is that I know you are a skilled Legilimens and can tell if a person is lying. While I know it is unethical, it is not illegal in extreme cases. So I am asking you to help me investigate these atrocities, for the safety of the school." Poppy spoke with such a fierce determination that headmaster could do nothing but agree with her.

"I am sorry that we have waited this long to investigate, I have been letting my priorities slip in light of Mr Potter and the War. Shall we start now or is he not to awake yet?" Albus asked with deep regret in his voice. He now realized that he brushed aside the other attacks as the temper of youth, so caught up in the investigation of Harry, he had not seen what was really going on in his school, to his students. Shame washed over the headmaster, it was then that he decided that he would retire at the end of the war, if he was around to see it.

"He should be fine, if a little confused." She woke him up with a wave of her wand and waited for him to stir.

"Wh…Where a-am I?" He stuttered out. He looked around and saw all of his 'friends' gathered around him in beds just like his. Professor Dumbledore gazed down at him calmly, that infuriatingly passive look on his face.

"You are in the Infirmary Mr Malfoy. It seems you were attacked last night and left outside, quite a beating you took. Do you remember anything from last night?" Dumbledore asked him. Panic flared up in him as he remembered what was planned for last night, he desperately scrambled to get his Occlumency shields up, but to no avail, he was too weak to grasp them.

"No, nothing, nothing at all. Can I go now, Professor? I have work to do." He tried to get out of bed, only to be forced back down by the icy glare of Madam Pomfrey.

"No, you are in no state to go anywhere." She practically spat at him.

"Calm yourself Draco, you be allowed to leave when you are healed, now, are you sure you don't remember anything? We need to find the culprit before they strike again. Tell me, have you heard anything about the recent attacks?" Albus saw the panic spring back into his face and took the chance to examine his surface thoughts.

What he found saddened him greatly, images violence and brutality. He saw the attacks on the younger years and he saw these five boys corner each of the girls that had been attacked, but stopped before he encroached on their privacy. Pulling back from the young man, he looked down at him with severe disappointment. Glancing over at Poppy he nodded slightly. Immediately hate boiled up in her eyes and she stalked off to her office.

"I believe we need to have a very serious conversation, Draco. Also, I am saddened to say that you are expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." A flash of light and the crest on the boy's robes disappeared.

* * *

Daphne awoke just as Malfoy was being treated. She climbed sleepily out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, staring at her bedraggled reflection in the charmed mirror.

"Rough night?" the huskily charming voice said.

"Bad dreams," She said through a yawn. "But good at the same time."

"Ah, the best kind, now off with you, your man will be waiting."

She hurriedly showered and dressed before quickly walking to the entrance hall to wait for Harry. They were to sit with her friends at the Slytherin table, it would be a pivotal point in their relationship, not that it would change anything, but she wanted her friends to like him. As much as she wouldn't admit it, she was nervous; Blaise and Tracey could make things difficult if they wanted to.

"Why would such a breathtakingly beautiful woman be all alone out here? Surely someone would not keep you waiting." A pair of rough hands circled around her waist and soft lips brushed her ear, making her shudder.

"You know, my boyfriend would not like you being so intimate, he's rather dangerous." She whispered.

"I think you'll find that I can handle myself, I did defeat a Dark Lord after all." Daphne span round to face him, leaning up and placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Good morning, lover."

"A very good morning indeed," He smiled down at her. "C'mon let's not keep the other snakes waiting." Grabbing her hand and tugging her into the hall over to the green and silver table. Most of the occupants glared at him or just eyed him wearily; he smiled and waved cheerily at them, openly mocking them all. At the end of the table, Blaise and Tracey sat trying to hide their laughter.

"Do you have a death wish, Potter?" the tall aristocratic boy asked.

Harry snorted. "It's way too late for that; I do have the second most dangerous person in the world after me. The first is sitting next to me.," He ducked a swat from his right and then one from his left. "although I might have to revise my list soon. So why isn't Malfoy here threatening my life and calling for his daddy?" Harry shared a look with Blaise.

Tracey perked up. "Well, it seems he's been the one behind all these attacks, from what I've heard he was found half dead outside the infirmary. I don't know how Dumbledore made him spill, but he got everything out of him. He's been expelled, and there's nothing that his father can do." She finished with a satisfied smile. Harry nodded grimly, he had hoped Dumbledore connect the dots. "I thought you would be doing cartwheels around the Quidditch pitch in your birthday suit." Daphne choked on her juice and started giggling.

"I am happy, but you know who he follows, whoever did this has just earned the ferret a one way ticket to Voldemort's feet. No one deserves that, but if it keeps this place a little safer, good riddance."

Blaise nodded firmly. "Anyway, did you hear about the Puddlemere seeker, he pulled a three hundred foot Wronski Feint, the other guy broke both his legs and most of his ribs…?"

Both dissolved into incomprehensible Quidditch talk as the two girls gossiped about the happenings around the school.

Ron and Ginny looked on with envy. Ron was not used to sharing his best mate, he hated the fact that Harry got on so well with someone else, and a Slytherin at that really grated on his nerves, he watched them both talk animatedly about who knows what and tried to remember what Harry had told him about being an close minded before shoving it to the back of mind and letting his sense of betrayal out.

Ginny was truly beginning to hate the slut who had taken her man, she glared at their hands holding each other under the table, that was supposed to be her sat there. Her plan had fallen through with the expulsion of Malfoy, a new plan had to be made, something more bold.

"Could you two be more obvious? He's more than welcome to make some more friends, your acting like he just killed your kitten." Neville told them firmly. Ron had the decency to look ashamed while Ginny just continued to glare at Daphne. Neville shook his head and went back to his breakfast, thinking over what had happened over the last few months.

He, like everyone else was shocked to hear that Harry had gone missing, most thought that Voldemort had taken him or that he had run from the coming war, but Neville had always thought that he was fine, simply taking the time he needed to acclimatize before being thrown into the middle of a battle that had been going on well before he was born.

He had spent a lot more time with Ron and Hermione since the start of term, and if he was honest, he didn't know how Harry coped, it was almost painfully obvious that they were head over heels for each other to everyone except themselves. Their arguments had taken on a legendary nature, the First Years were terrified of both of them and the rest of the Gryffindor's keep well clear when they are at each other's throats.

When he couldn't stand the unending bickering and sideward glances he spent his time with Luna. He could only understand about three words out of ten, but when he did understand her he couldn't help but like the girl, she was so quirky and unique that he soon found himself crushing on her, which she had found quite amusing when she called him out on it, in a rather blunt way. She had not said whether she felt the same way, so he had just let it pass and not so discretely admired her body as she walked away.

"Neville! _Neville!" _He shook his head to clear his thoughts as Hermione glared at him in annoyance.

"What?" He said somewhat irritably, after all it was a rather pleasant thought.

"It's time for Charms; we're going to be late." She snapped at him, he checked his watch to see they still had fifteen minutes to go, he looked at her bewildered.

"We've got ages yet." Neville went back to his half finished breakfast. Hermione huffed and stomped her foot, it still amazed Neville that girls actually did that. He now owed Harry ten Galleons. She stalked off and he knew it was going to be one of those days.

* * *

Walking into Charms Harry sat towards the back of the class next to Neville and Ron who were shooting wary glances at Hermione. He snorted loudly, another argument by the looks of it. Flitwick was bounding around, greeting students and generally acting like a hyper active three year old on cocaine, with ADD.

"Ah, Mr Potter, good to see you back, didn't get a chance to talk last week, just wondering if you enjoyed your travels, didn't happen to find any interesting charms we could try did you?" He exclaimed excitedly.

Harry grinned devilishly. "Well there was this one I found in Italy that gives your eyes a temporary boost so you can see through certain materials, cloth, wood, brick and even metal. It was quite useful on my journey. The only drawback is that it has to be cast silently." Harry told the Professor. Some of the girls looked scandalized at the thought of teaching this charm to a bunch of teenage boys. The boys were eager to learn and would probably ambush Harry later.

"That sounds like an extremely complex charm; I doubt we'll be able to cover it this year, maybe next year when we've covered all your NEWT work." Flitwick looked extremely uncomfortable at the thought of x-ray vision inside a room full of school girls. He cleared his throat and hurried to his stack of books. "Now, today class we will be looking at the Patronus Charm, I know some of you have covered this with Professor Snape this year, and a few last year with Mr Potter. What do we know about the charm? Yes, Miss Granger?" Hermione looked immensely pleased to be called upon.

"The Patronus Charm is the primary defence against Dementors, most witches and wizards are only able to create a fine mist to repel them or hold them off, a Corporeal Patronus usually takes the form of an animal that represents the casters personality or in some other cases it takes the form of a loved one's personality. To be able to cast the Charm you must be able to bring forth a very powerful emotion, a happy one is the easiest to use, but I have found that other positive emotions work as well." Hermione told Flitwick.

"A very good description Miss Granger, I'd like you all in your own words to give me a description of what you think makes the Patronus work. Now, a demonstration is in order, any volunteers? No?" Most of the class looked anxiously around, none of them as confident as they would have liked with the charm. Harry sighed and put his hand up. "Very good Mr Potter, up you come."

"_Expecto Patronum!" _He said lazily, Prongs burst forth and stood proudly at the front of the class.

"Excellent Mr Potter, ten points to Gryffindor. Now class as you can see this example is larger than the normal Stag, the most prominent theories as to why this is are the power of the memory or the emotion and the power of the caster, this has been argued for many years, especially since You-Know-Who convinced the Dementors to join him in the First War. What do think it is, Mr Potter?"

"I would say it was a combination of the two, the memory and emotion would be needed to create the form, then the power would be used to determine the size, brightness and effect it has." Harry explained easily, he had thought about it a little while he was travelling, and happened to stop by Azkaban for some research.

"An excellent theory, Mr Potter." Flitwick tittered excitedly. "Now class, what other uses does the Patronus Charm have?" Harry walked back to his seat and let his mind drift.

His visit to Azkaban had quite obviously not been an enjoyable one, he had no idea he was actually been going towards it until he felt the Dementors just as he reached the shores of the island. His research had comprised of a new spell designed to destroy or severely injure Dementors. To say it had rather disgusting results would be putting it mildly, to be quite honest he still didn't feel clean.

Before he knew it his day was over, having no more lessons he wandered up to his dorm room and grabbed one of his Fathers journals.

_3__rd__ of March 1975_

_Today was kind of weird, first we had potions with Slughorn, I for once did not blow up the cauldron, Padfoot did instead. Then Evans started harping on about Cauldron safety, which in itself is nothing new, but she wasn't screaming her lungs out as she normally is. Snape the git just smirked the whole time Slughorn was giving me and Padfoot detention. Slimy Git. _

_Moony totally put me off my stride in Transfig, saying Evans was staring at me, as if, she wouldn't do anything like that in public. So, I was distracted and McGonagall took points cause I missed the kitten and turned her desk into a puppy._

_Anyway it's not really the lessons that have me freaked out, it's the corridors, between each lesson I found myself going down the same corridor over and over again, something keeps making me go back there, all that's there is some old armour and blank wall with some eroded carvings. Dad did say things in Hogwarts would react differently to me than other kids but this getting ridiculous. Some people are starting to wonder why all the paintings and armour bow and salute when I walk past, I told them it was because Hogwarts respects my genius, but that got Evans all riled up, I seriously don't get what her problem is, she acts all snooty when there are people around but as soon as they're gone she talks to me like a human being again, seriously!_

_OK I got to go, Marauder meeting time._

Harry had just put the journal away when Neville and Ron trudged in sullenly and slung their bags across the room. He watched with a smirk on his face as they buried themselves in their beds.

"You know, this room was a lot happier before you came in, what's up?" Ron surfaced from his bed to half heartedly glare at him.

"Snape." Neville's voice came from his pillow.

"Hermione." Ron said at the same time.

"Fair enough." Harry grinned at them one last time before leaving the room to find a cheery atmosphere. The common room looked to be exactly the same as his dorm, all the upper years looked to be pouting and Hermione was glaring at anyone that was talking above a sullen whisper from over her book.

He crept around everyone and stealthily left the common room. He went down to his favourite spot by the lake and lay next to the shore looking up into the darkening sky. It had been a weird few days, first Dumbledore asking him to join the Order, the talk with Gabriel and dealing with Malfoy.

Try as he might he still couldn't fathom why Dumbledore was going to all this trouble to get him back on side, there was the chosen one thing, but Harry had proven himself more than capable of handling himself without the Headmasters help, he supposed it could be from simple affection, or Dumbledore had finally recognized Harry as a part of this war and should be included to the mutual benefit of them both. He preferred that last one.

He could easily figure out why Tom wanted the treasures locked in the Solomonari Fortress, that place was filled to the brim with every type of magic known to man, and some that are not. With the knowledge in there Tom could become endlessly powerful, crushing all underneath his Godlike power.

A shadow crossed his vision , he opened his eyes to find his girlfriend standing before him with a slight smile on her face, her icy blue eyes looking down at him with a mixture of concern and amusement.

"Hey." He said, reaching up for her hand and twining his fingers with hers. He couldn't help but smile when he was with her.

"Hey, yourself. Do you know how crazy you look out here in the freezing cold?" She asked him quietly, gazing at their connected hands in a fond way.

Harry smirked. "Do you know that you have amazing legs, especially from this angle?" She let out a squeal of surprise when he pulled her down next him. "And yes. I know how crazy I look, I just wanted to think for a few minutes before I have to deal with everyone, you are obviously an exception." He added quickly after she arched he eyebrow.

"That's right, Potter, I'm the exception." She leant in and captured his lips in a gentle kiss. "Now, are you going to tell me what's bothering you or will I have to hex it out of you. You've been moping for days now, don't think no one noticed either." She poked his chest sternly.

Harry sighed, "You are way too observant you know that? I suppose I have been pretty distracted lately, it's really going to kick off soon." He grabbed her other hand and held them both gently. "I might have to leave soon, really soon." He looked up to meet her surprised eyes.

"Why? I thought that you would be staying now, is it because of Dumbledore, is he pressuring you? Or is it Granger, is she bossing you about again, I'll curse her if you want." Daphne babbled in panic. She hadn't realised how much she had come to depend on his presence.

Harry laughed at here wild expression. "Don't worry, it has nothing to do with them, its Tom, he's after something that I am bound to protect, its complicated." He sighed. "You remember what I said about the Vampires?" She nodded slowly. "Well, while I was with them I kind of joined a secret society of sorts, I can't tell you much but I will have to go when they call, and probably soon."

"A secret society? Seriously?" Harry nodded. "You really do come with all the trimmings don't you." She grinned.

Harry laughed in relief, he worried himself to death about what she would think of him for leaving so soon. The next question took him completely of guard though.

"How soon is 'soon'?" She asked suspiciously.

"Errrr..."

* * *

Hunkered down behind a log, Gabriel looked like he had been roughing it for the last few weeks, which if you were as literal as the werewolf crouching next to him who had been pointing out the obvious for the last half an hour they had been hiding from a roving bunch of Death Eaters, they had.

It had been almost two weeks since he had been warned by Harry. He and the wolves had started patrolling the forest as they made their way to the Solomonari Fortress, they had tracked these morons deep into the forest, but had underestimated their numbers.

"Jugson! What the hell do you think you're doing? Stay on the path!" The lead Death Eater screamed in the face of what looked like his second.

"Why? There's only trees here?" Jugson said stupidly. Some of the dozen Death Eaters chuckled.

"'_Only trees_'? You imbecile, this forest is crawling with Merlin knows what. Never mind...Anderson! you take the lead." A tall man stepped passed the leader and pushed Jugson back to where he was supposed to be. "Now let's keep moving. Go!" The leader snapped.

The group shuffled off deeper into the forest making as much noise as they could along the way. Gabriel let out a quiet sigh and looked towards his companion.

"Well, I don't think we have much to worry about from them." He said with a snort. Gabriel looked at him in frustration. He was apparently one of the oldest werewolves of Nathaniel's pack, and had been with him from the beginning over six hundred years ago.

"You continue to astound me Henry. We'd best go catch up with the others." Gabriel transformed into his wolf form and took off into the forest, knowing Henry would pass him easily. And so he did, throwing a wolfish grin as he did.

* * *

Harry walked past the wall again, he figured it must work like the Room of Requirement, but no. He tried the most powerful unlocking charm he knew, not that he knew many, he just blew things up if they were in his way. He glared at the wall, ever since he'd read his father's diary the day before this corridor had been drawing him in.

He'd probably had to be told by his father for the charm to take effect. And he had in a roundabout kind of way.

Harry glared at the wall for what seemed like hours before he gave. Taking his frustrations out on the poor wall with his magically infused fist, and was quite understandably surprised when he slipped straight through the wall and came face to face with a rather drowsy Godric Gryffindor.

"Ah, about time too, do you know how long I've been waiting for someone to talk to. Now, are thos lovely maidens still dancing about on the fifth floor?"

A gobsmacked Harry just nodded and watched in silence as the founder stretched his limbs.

* * *

Well, that's that I suppose its been a long wait for not much to happen. Please be vigilant, it wont be long...Ok I'm lying my arse of there. Its likley to be an age.

Enough with things that are completley my fault. What do you think? I like the scene with Pomfrey and Dumbledore, which was just for giggles at first then goth more serious as I went along.

Tell me what you think and no keep you eyes open for updates, and maybe even a new story which I've been adding to sporadicly for the last few months. R & R People!


End file.
